New details emerge in killing of Pembroke Pines man found in burned car
New details have been released on the murder of a Pembroke Pines man that led to the February arrests of two men in Texas, court records show.
Jayden DeJesus, 19, and Treyvon Quinones, 19, allegedly shot and killed 22-year-old Hunter Howell while he sat in a car at the West Broward Boat Ramp on Jan. 31 and lit the vehicle on fire to destroy the evidence, according to the pair’s arrest warrant.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the green Honda Accord that was parked in a patch of tall grass near the lot the following morning to find Howell dead, covered in soot and with severe burns across his body.
“(Howell) was observed to have sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of his head,” the warrant says. “The victim’s left hand exhibited severe burn damage, with blackened, charred tissue and partial tissue loss involving the fingers.”
Inside the car’s glove box — registered under DeJesus, who’s from Miami — deputies said they found a container of fuel injector cleaner with a makeshift wick inside, adding that the fire was purposely lit and “suspicious.”
Howell’s loved ones revealed to investigators that the 22-year-old, DeJesus and Quinones — originally from Forney, Texas — had met months before his death.
Howell, whose father and girlfriend confirmed that he was a marijuana dealer, was first introduced to the pair after his car was struck by lightning. He struck up a relationship with the pair once they began giving him rides to sell drugs in DeJesus’ Honda, officials say.
The three men would also regularly visit the West Broward Boat Ramp on Sunday nights “to listen to loud music from vehicles equipped with speakers,” DeJesus’ girlfriend confirmed to investigators.
Detectives haven’t detailed what led the pair to allegedly kill Howell.
Hours before his death, the 22-year-old visited a Pembroke Pines vape shop and had a 6 p.m. dinner at Flanigan’s with friends, an unidentified friend told deputies.
Afterward, he planned to make a quick stop at his father’s home — where he was living at the time — before heading out to sell marijuana, Howell’s girlfriend confirmed to BSO.
According to Howell’s dad, he left around 8 p.m. and never returned.
Meanwhile, records obtained from DeJesus’ and Quinones’ cell phones showed they were near Howell’s Pembroke Pines home around 8:10 p.m. on Jan. 31 and headed toward the West Broward Boat Ramp between 8:45 and 10 p.m., the warrant says.
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Their phones departed from the lot around 10:10 p.m., deputies added, and were spotted near DeJesus’ Miami apartment complex an hour later.
Surveillance footage from the complex also showed DeJesus and Quinones leaving the unit on Jan. 31 dressed in clothes consistent with those found inside the Honda, the former donning the sweatshirt placed on Howell’s face and the latter a pair of Air Jordans discovered in the back seat.
A warrant for Quinones’ and DeJesus’ arrest was signed on Feb. 10, court records show, and the pair was arrested the following day in Kaufman County, Texas, following a traffic stop involving Kaufman deputies, BSO’s Violence Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response and the U.S. Marshal’s Office in Dallas.
Quinones and DeJesus were extradited to Broward County and booked into Broward Main Jail on Feb. 23, where they were being held with no bond.
Both face felony charges of first-degree murder with a firearm and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
Howell is remembered by his loved ones as someone who “lived with a generous heart and a kind spirit that touched everyone he met,” and “would literally give the shirt off his back” to those in need, reads a GoFundMe that’s raised over $5,500 for funeral costs as of March 11.
“Hunter was only 22 years old — a life that was just beginning, full of promise, and anchored by a smile that could truly light up any room,” reads the fundraiser’s note. “We want to give Hunter the proper, dignified service he deserves — a final ‘thank you’ for the joy and laughter he brought into our lives.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 5:43 PM.
