Manuel Tellez killed 52-year-old Anthony Moreno and burned his body, officials said.
DALLAS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Tuesday it is deporting a 48-year-old Mexican citizen who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2022 fatal stabbing of a North Texas artist
Manuel Tellez was taken into ICE Dallas custody on March 4.
“ICE prioritized Tellez for arrest after identifying him as removable following his April 3, 2022, arrest for murder,” the agency said in a statement.
Tellez killed 52-year-old Anthony Moreno and burned his body, officials said.
Moreno was a well-known artist and was being interviewed at Tellez’s bakery in Oak Cliff. The men discussed Moreno’s artwork on display in the bakery during an Instagram Live, according to court documents. After the live stream, the pair walked to an alley blocks away, and Tellez stabbed Moreno seven times. Tellez then left the scene and changed clothing before he returned to pour gasoline on Moreno and lit his body on fire, according to court documents.
According to the affidavit, authorities believed the two men had a “romantic interest” in the same woman.
Tellez, who faced a murder charge, pled guilty to the lesser offense of manslaughter and served no prison time, ICE officials said.
“This is an egregious offender,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson. “We are grateful for our federal partners within the Justice Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for helping us remove this high-priority target from our communities.”
Tellez remains in ICE custody, pending immigration removal proceedings.
