Christopher Prestipino appears at the Las Vegas Justice Court, downtown, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019.
Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019 | 2:49 p.m.
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A man accused of kidnapping a Las Vegas model, killing her and encasing her body in concrete has posted a $500,000 bail, Clark County Court records show.
Christopher Santo Prestipino, 45, will be released with high-level electronic monitoring, according to a surety bond acceptance notice filed today.
On Tuesday, Prestipino pleaded not guilty to killing Esmeralda Gonzalez, 24. He was indicted on one count each of murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to kidnap.
Gonzalez’s body was found Oct. 8 in the desert near Primm in a wooden container filled with cement, according to Metro Police.
She was last seen alive in late May, when she was spotted walking in her southwest valley neighborhood, police said. She appeared disoriented, police said.
Clark County prosecutors allege Prestipino, who lived down the street, lured Gonzalez into his house, where he and his roommate Casandra Bascones, also known as Casandra Garrett, gave her methamphetamine.
After Gonzalez threatened to call police, they tied her up, prosecutors said. Gonzalez was suffocated and injected with “pool cleaner” when she punched the man, prosecutors allege.
Prestipino was arrested at the Las Vegas airport on Oct. 11 after he flew back from Belize, police said. Bascones was taken into custody in Wisconsin a week later, police said.
Prestipino’s girlfriend, Lisa Mort, 31, was charged with harboring, hiding or helping a felony offender for allegedly plotting to help Prestipino flee the country, police said.
Prestipino is next due in court on Nov. 13.
