SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. - While 3-year-old Evelyn was being brutally raped and killed in her bed early Saturday morning, her 5-year-old brother pretended to be asleep. By playing possum, he was able to give police information that helped lead to the swift arrest of a suspect in his sister's death, according to South Sioux City Police Chief Scott Ford.

Ford said his department is still waiting for autopsy and test results. Getting DNA information could take several weeks.

The suspect, Malecio Camacho, also known as De Jesus Melisio-Camacho, 29, was transferred Wednesday morning from the Dakota County Jail in South Sioux City to the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln because inmates at the jail had threatened his safety, jail Administrator Terry Kern said.

Camacho is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree sexual assault of a child and burglary. He is being held in lieu of $5 million bail, and a lawyer from the Commission for Public Advocacy was appointed to represent him. Kern said Camacho had been visited in jail by a representative of the Mexican consulate in Omaha but could not say what they discussed.

Spokesman Tim Counts of the Homeland Security Department's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said agents have determined that Camacho mostly likely is in the country illegally.

Among the Dakota County court documents regarding Camacho is an immigration detainer form from Homeland Security. Counts said the detainer means the department wants to take custody of Camacho if Nebraska authorities were to release him for any reason.

He is scheduled to appear in Dakota County Court for a preliminary hearing June 16.

Evelyn liked alleged attacker

Carlos Camas, who lives next door to the family in Parkview Mobile Home Park in South Sioux City, said he is friends with Evelyn's father, who told him Evelyn knew and was fond of the man who is accused of killing her.

"The little girl liked him," Camas said. "You know how little kids are. I don't know how he got it in his mind to do that. That's pretty sick," he said of the attack.

Ford said Camacho was introduced to the victim's family when he arrived in the area four to six months ago and lived with them for a short time. He said relatives of Camacho and the family may have known each other in Mexico.

Authorities have released the little girl's first name but have not identified the family. Ford said Evelyn's brother is receiving counseling from specialists at the Child Advocacy Center at Mercy Medical Center - Sioux City.

The family has lived here for three or four years and is in the country legally, according to Susie Squires, who is helping the family. Squires heads the Watchful Eye Foundation, which, among other things, promotes awareness and prevention of child sexual assault.

The arrest warrant shows that Camacho had lived at 107 13th St. in Sioux City for about two weeks at the time of the crime and that three other men who also lived there told police he slept on a couch. The three told police Camacho had been with them at Los Amigos bar in South Sioux City on Friday night but was gone when the bar closed at 1 a.m.

Shawn Jensen, an investigator with the South Sioux City Police Department, noted in the affidavit for the arrest warrant that when Officer Raul Gonzalez stopped Camacho for questioning during a search for a suspect in a different incident, Gonzalez observed that Camacho was intoxicated. Police did not know about Evelyn's death at that time, and although Camacho had blood on his shirt, he said he'd been in a fight with friends and Gonzalez let him go.

An hour later, at 4:43 a.m. Saturday, Mercy Medical Center reported the crime to South Sioux City police. At 6:30 a.m., Sioux City police went to the 13th Street home and took Camacho to headquarters for questioning.

A woman who was loading luggage into a car at the house Wednesday said she only visited her boyfriend there on weekends and didn't know Camacho.

At the Sioux City Brick plant in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, where Camacho worked, packaging supervisor Miguel Nuno said workers were shocked to hear of his alleged involvement in Evelyn's death. He said Camacho and the toddler's father both worked at the plant.

"We just couldn't believe what happened," said Nuno, who last saw Camacho on Friday.

Sioux City Brick hired both of the men, whom Nuno called "excellent workers," about three months ago through a Sioux City employment agency. People at the plant said the two men had known each other for years and may even have come up from Arizona at the same time, Nuno said.

Camacho's first job at the plant was cutting bricks. He came under Nuno's supervision later when he moved to the packaging department. Although Camacho was a quiet man, Nuno said he was a promising employee who worked hard.

"If you told him to do any type of work, he would never say no," he said.

Journal staff writers Dolly A. Butz and Molly Montag and The Associated Press contributed to this report

Fund established for family

An account has been established to help Evelyn's family pay for funeral expenses and a move to a different home in South Sioux City. Donations may be sent to Dakota County State Bank, "Memorial for Evelyn," 2024 Dakota Ave., South Sioux City, NE 68776

Area merchants are also collecting money for the family, using clearly marked canisters distributed by youths in the Watchful Eye Foundation program. Businesses that would like to help may call program coordinator Erin Herrera at (402) 412-3393 to have a canister delivered.