Bails set in Jill Sundberg murder case

GEORGE – Bails for the five men who were arrested in connection with the December murder of Jill Sundberg have been set.

The three main suspects in the murder, Gustavo Tapia Rodriguez, 39, of Quincy, Ambrosio Mendez Villanueva, 25, of Quincy, and Julio Cesar Albarran Varona, 25, of Quincy, have been charged with first-degree murder. Each of the three men had his bail set at $1 million.

Two other men, Fernando Marcos Gutierrez, 33, of Quincy, and Salvador Espinoza Gomez, 24, city of residence not listed, are currently charged as material witnesses in connection with the incident. Their bails were set at $100,000 apiece.

Sundberg’s body was located on Dec. 22 near a rest area on the Old Vantage Highway, near George. Police records indicate she had been shot several times in the head and a piece of cardboard was found secured to her body with a knife, which reportedly contained a handwritten message in Spanish. A total of 13 .40-caliber shell casings were found near the victim’s body.

Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigators were able to make contact with a man who claimed he was with the three main suspects on Dec. 21. He claimed Sundberg and Tapia Rodriguez got into argument at the Shady Tree RV Park, near Quincy. He described witnessing Albarran Varona hold Sundberg’s hands behind her back and put his hands over her mouth when she screamed for help as he led her to Tapia Rodriguez’s GMC Yukon. Tapia Rodriguez drove the Yukon to the Old Vantage Highway and pulled off at a rest area.

Albarran Varona got out of the SUV, still holding Sundberg’s hands behind her back, and allegedly kicked the back of one of her legs, causing her to drop to her knees. Tapia Rodriguez then allegedly shot Sundberg in the head and continued shooting her as she fell onto the ground. The witness claimed Mendez Villanueva grabbed a piece of cardboard, put it on Sundberg’s body and “plunged” a knife into her.