Suspect in the death of a Cherry Hill veterinarian was ‘intimately acquainted’ with victim’s partner, authorities say

The Oregon man charged with murder in the stabbing death of Cherry Hill veterinarian Michael Anthony was “intimately acquainted” with the victim’s partner, authorities said Friday.

Cristian Custodio-Aquino, 27, who was arrested last month in the December slaying of Anthony outside his home in the Barclay Farm section of Cherry Hill, was an intimate acquaintance of Anthony’s partner, Kyle Bartsch, said Sgt. Andy McNeil, spokesperson for the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.

McNeil did not elaborate, so it was unclear how Bartsch and Custodio-Aquino met or how long they had known each other. He said more information about the nature of the relationship would come to light at future court hearings.

Bartsch, who lived with Anthony at his home on Sharrowvale Road, said in a statement Saturday that he was devastated by the “sudden and senseless” loss of his partner and grateful to law enforcement for their work on the murder investigation.

Of Custodio-Aquino, he said, “This individual was known to me, but we had not been in contact for more than three years.”

He added that he looked forward “to bringing this individual to justice.”

Bartsch described Anthony, his partner of three years, as “an exceptional person, universally loved by those who knew him.”

Anthony, 45, was stabbed multiple times on the front lawn of his home and pronounced dead at the scene.

Custodio-Aquino, a native of Peru who had been living in Portland, was charged after investigators linked him to a pair of prescription glasses found at the scene by tracing them to the store where he purchased them. Authorities also said Custodio-Aquino owned a black sedan that matched the description of a car seen driving into Anthony’s neighborhood on the day he was killed and then driving away from the scene of the crime.

Custodio-Aquino was taken into custody in Fresno, Calif., where he had been staying with friends.

He and Anthony knew each other, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest, but detectives did not say how.

Last week, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ordered Custodio-Aquino be extradited to New Jersey within 120 days. He has not yet arrived in New Jersey, said McNeil of the prosecutor’s office.

The death of Anthony, a veterinarian with a practice in Haddon Heights and a father of two sons, stunned his Cherry Hill community. Neighbors described him as a friendly, but private, man, and people who took their pets to his veterinary office said he had a gentle touch with animals.

Bartsch said he was touched by the kindness of those who had reached out to him and the family in the nearly three months since Anthony’s death.

“I am still grieving this loss,” he said. “All who loved Michael appreciate the outpouring of support and look forward to keeping his legacy alive.”