A 43-year-old man in Colorado has been arrested and accused of killing his roommate, burying the body in a shallow grave, and convincing the victim's friends that he had died from pneumonia — all while secretly stealing money from the dead man's bank account.

Leon Pantoya was taken into custody on Friday and charged with one count of first-degree murder in the 2022 slaying of 39-year-old Steven Robinson, authorities announced. He is also facing one count of identity theft and one count of theft of an amount between $20,000 and $100,000, both of which are felonies.

According to a news release from the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, Pantoya's arrest came after a three-year investigation headed by PCSO Detective Vanessa Simpson.

Deputies on Sept. 25, 2022, responded to a field in the 3500

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