Velez, 26, enters not guilty plea in fatal Springdale shooting

FAYETTEVILLE — A man who police say told them he shot and killed a woman whose body was found on a Springdale street in late January pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of first-degree murder.

Kevin Bugasto Velez, 26, told police he shot Sanjuana Perez-Ostiguin, 29, of Springdale during an argument in his vehicle, according to a police report. Velez told police it was self-defense and an accident.

Police said Velez and Perez-Ostiguin were acquaintances.

Perez-Ostiguin had multiple gunshot wounds in her torso and one in her head, according to the report. Her body was found in the early morning hours of Jan. 20 in the westbound lane of the Don Tyson Parkway near

George Anderson Road.

Velez pleaded not guilty to one count each of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and possession of methamphetamine or cocaine. He was given a court date of May 10 before Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay.

Velez is being held in the Washington County Detention Center in lieu of $250,000 bond.

The tampering count stems from Velez telling police he cleaned his vehicle and got rid of evidence, according to the report.

Court records show Velez is on parole. He pleaded guilty to a possession of a controlled substance charge in 2016, for which he was sentenced to four years of probation, according to Benton County Prosecutor Nathan Smith.

Velez also pleaded guilty to domestic battery of a child in 2017, and was sentenced to eight years of probation.

The probation for the drug charge was revoked in 2017 for failing to report to his probation officer, and Velez was sentenced to six years in the Arkansas Department of Correction, Smith said. He served time in the Benton County Jail.

Velez was put on parole in August, and it’s scheduled to end in 2023, according to Vinelink, an information and notification service of Arkansas Community Correction.

Velez