A man was arrested and charged with killing another man whose body was found in a trash can in Norristown.
Felix Santos-Colon Jr., 46, is accused of murdering 44-year-old Oscar Traviezo-Tercero.
A man was near the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, around 7 p.m. when they noticed a foul smell coming from a trash can in a wooded area. The man opened the trash can and saw what he thought was a human leg. He then called 911.
Responding police officers noticed there were bicycle parts scattered near the trash bin. Investigators later identified the body inside the bin as Oscar Traviezo-Tercero. An autopsy conducted on Nov. 11 determined Traviezo-Tercero had several fractures on the back of his skull. A forensic pathologist determined he died from blunt force trauma to the head and his death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators later determined Traviezo-Tercero and Santos-Colon Jr. were both living unhoused in Norristown and sleeping in the car wash at Global Gas on Main Street. Police said they had previously met Traviezo-Tercero on Nov. 2, 2025, when he called 911 to report that he was trying to protect Santos-Colon Jr.’s girlfriend, investigators said. However, the woman left the scene before Norristown police arrived, according to officials.
The last time Traviezo-Tercero was seen alive was on Nov. 4, investigators said. Surveillance video from Nov. 5 showed Santos-Colon Jr. leaving Global Gas with a full trash can, according to officials. The video showed bicycle parts and other items sticking out of the top of the can, investigators said.
The video also shows another man on a bicycle next to Santos-Colon Jr., officials said. As the two men move along the Schuylkill River Trail, the other man gets off his bike and helps him push the trash can up a hill, according to investigators. Once the trash can was on the trail, the other man rode his bicycle westbound, bought a beer at a store on Main Street and then returned to Global Gas, investigators said.
Santos-Colon Jr. was arrested on Saturday, Nov. 15, and charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime. He was arraigned and denied bail since no bail is available for a first-degree murder charge in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 21, 2025.
While Santos-Colon Jr. is in custody, officials have not yet revealed if they are also searching for the man who they say was spotted on surveillance video riding a bike next to him.
“This investigation was not an easy one, with the victim and defendant both unhoused,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. “But as happens again and again in Montgomery County, our detectives and local police work the investigation until it is solved, no matter the difficulty or resources necessary. Violence will not be tolerated. No one should be a victim of violence in our community.”
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