Man claims he was asked to clean blood from car with body of slain Winter Garden teen still inside

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Channel 9 spoke with an auto shop owner who claims he was asked to clean the car of a suspect accused of killing a 16-year-old teenager who had been the subject of an Amber Alert.

Police said Luis Rivera fatally shot Bruce Hagans Jr. last month over a drug deal.

Investigators said they found Hagans' body buried in a shallow grave in Orange County more than a week after receiving a tip.

Luis Then-Vargas spoke with Channel 9 and said he didn't know what to think when Rivera and his father, Luis Rivera Sr. drove to his auto shop on May 31 with Hagans' body.

"At first I thought he was sleeping," Then-Vargas said.

Documents revealed the body of Hagans was slumped over toward the driver side, with his head resting on the center console area.

Those documents also claim that Rivera Sr. and Jr. met at Then-Vargas' auto shop on West Robinson Street within 15 minutes of the fatal shooting and wanted Then-Vargas to clean up the blood.

Officials said at first Then-Vargas refused at first, but then changed his mind and said his son could do the job.

Upon learning the nature of the job, Then-Vargas' son had concerns about what was going on and said when he started asking questions, Rivera Sr. and his son told him "someone got robbed."

"Yes, they (told him) he tried to rob the kid and that's why they got in a gunfight inside the car," Then-Vargas said.

Winter Garden police have not said whether Then-Vargas and his son will face any charges, but did say charges are pending against "several people" in the case.

The older Rivera has been released from jail after paying bail.

The younger Rivera is being held without bail.

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