PHOENIX — A 30-year-old man was found dead on a hiking trail at Mountain View Park in north Phoenix on Nov. 26. Police say Bernardo Pantaleon was found with a gunshot wound and loved ones said he faced a violent death.
His body was found naked and his belongings were gone.
Phoenix police are now turning to the public for help.
“There's no words that can describe what a good, genuine, good energy type of person that he was," said Rafael Martinez, Pantaleon's close friend. “If you needed help, or needed a ride or needed anything, you could ask him and he would do it. He would give you the shirt off his back.”
On Sunday, Nov. 26, just before 12:30 p.m., police say someone on a trail near 7th Avenue and Peoria Avenue found Pantaleon's body. Detectives responded to investigate his death.
The investigation remains active and open as detectives process evidence. No arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified.
“Why did this happen? You know, here? It makes no sense to me," Martinez said.
Martinez said Pantaleon was part of the LGBTQ community and fears this violent attack was rooted in hate.
“It wasn't just one thing, like it was a trail of blood. And, you know, that says a lot," Martinez said.
Police said they are not ruling anything out.
“Our detectives are not going to leave anything on the table. They’re going to investigate every allegation," said Sgt. Brian Bower of the Phoenix PD Public Affairs Bureau. "If you live in the area and you happened to see something suspicious on your cameras and you can go back to November 26th and you see something that may be related, please call us up.”
As for Martinez and Pantaleon's family, they are left with a hole in their hearts that cannot be filled.
“Bernardo is not the type of person to put himself in any type of predicament to be out here. It just doesn't make sense," Martinez said.
They have concerns for the public's safety. Martinez put out a warning to others in the Valley's LGBTQ community.
“Just keeping yourself safe by all measures and by all means until we can really label this and figure out what the hell is going on," Martinez said. "This is random and it's a scary time right now."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Pantaleon's family. You can donate here.
If you have any information about what happened, contact Phoenix PD or Silent Witness by calling 480-WITNESS.