RUSKIN, Fla (WFLA) — The wife of 44-year-old Efrain Ibarra is heartbroken after her husband’s body was discovered burning in a field back in April.
“This has affected my life very deeply. There’s a lot of pain in my heart,” said Mercedes Ibarra, the victim’s wife.
Mercedes and Efrian spent over 20 years together. She says it was unusual when Efrain didn’t come home the night of April 14. According to Mercedes, a friend told her a body was found burning about a mile from the couple’s home.
She admits she went to the scene on Will Scarlett Avenue to tell officials her husband was missing.
“I never wanted to believe it was him, but when he wouldn’t come home, and his truck was nowhere to be found, and police were asking a lot of questions, well you know,” she said.
Mercedes says she later confirmed the body found was indeed her husband’s.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has charged 26-year-old Carlos Almaraz-Barbosa and 20-year-old Christian Segura-Alvarez with his murder.
Alvarez is already in custody in Hillsborough County. Barbosa is awaiting extradition to Florida from Houston, Texas.
U.S Marshall’s Deputy Cameron Welch says their agency learned Barbosa was possibly at an apartment complex in West Houston. According to Welch, they took him into custody without incident.
The suspect will be brought back to Florida within the next 14 days.
Mercedes shares her husband had recently met the two suspects doing work as a contractor.
“He didn’t deserve this. He gave them a job and this is how they repay him.”
The family has since sent Efrain’s remains to his hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico.