Current:Home > Finance18-year-old arrested in killing of Texas girl Maria Gonzalez, 11; body found under her bed-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
18-year-old arrested in killing of Texas girl Maria Gonzalez, 11; body found under her bed
View Date:2024-12-23 19:31:20
One week after an 11-year-old girl was found dead underneath her bed in Texas, an 18-year-old man suspected of killing and sexually assaulting her has been arrested, police said Saturday.
Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez will be charged with capital murder in the killing of Maria Gonzalez, whose body was found at an apartment in Pasadena, Texas, on Aug. 12, the Pasadena Police Department said in a news release.
Police named him as a person of interest Friday after obtaining additional evidence linking Garcia-Rodriguez to her death, police said Friday.
Police said he was living at the same apartment complex as Gonzalez but had since left. He was arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.
Maria texted her dad saying someone was knocking at the door
On Aug. 12, Maria's father, Carmelo Gonzalez, called police saying his daughter wasn’t breathing, police said Tuesday. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said Maria was home alone after her dad left for work around 9:45 a.m. Police said the last message Carmelo received from his daughter was her saying someone was knocking at the door.
Carmelo told local station KHOU that he told his daughter not to open the door, and she said she wouldn’t. After that, he said he never heard from her again, the station reported.
Soon after, Carmelo asked his brother and sister-in-law, who also live in the apartment complex, to check on her, The Associated Press reported. They found the front door unlocked and things out of place, but they didn’t find Maria, AP reported.
Police said Carmelo came home from work and found his daughter's body hidden underneath her bed in a plastic trash bag that was placed inside a laundry basket.
The medical examiner said Maria died as a result of asphyxia from being strangled. She was also sexually assaulted, the investigation found.
Gonzalez family releases statement after arrest
The Gonzalez family released a statement thanking police for arresting the suspect, AP reported.
“May he be burdened with the full weight of the law, for what he has done to my daughter,” the statement said.
Contributing: The Associated Press and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
veryGood! (41197)
Related
- Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's Son Moses Martin Reveals His Singing Talents at Concert
- Bella Hadid Makes Return to Modeling Amid Health Journey
- Biden wants to compensate New Mexico residents sickened by radiation during 1945 nuclear testing
- Johnny Manziel's former teammate Mike Evans applauds him for speaking on mental health
- College Football Playoff bracket: Complete playoff picture after latest rankings
- Former NYPD inspector pleads guilty to obstructing probe of NYC mayor’s failed presidential bid
- Trump says he won’t sign Republican loyalty pledge, flouting debate requirement
- Wildfires take Maui by surprise, burning through a historic town and killing at least 6 people
- Multi-State Offshore Wind Pact Weakened After Connecticut Sits Out First Selection
- Botched's Terry Dubrow Says Wife Heather Saved His Life During Medical Emergency
Ranking
- Video ‘bares’ all: Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume
- How did the Maui fire start? What we know about the cause of the Lahaina blaze
- Split up Amazon, Prime and AWS? If Biden's FTC breaks up Bezos' company, consumers lose.
- Contentious Mississippi GOP primary race for lieutenant governor exposes rift among conservatives
- Old Navy's Early Black Friday Deals Start at $1.97 -- Get Holiday-Ready Sweaters, Skirts, Puffers & More
- A poet pieces together an uncertain past in 'Memoir of a Kidnapping'
- China is edging toward deflation. Here's what that means.
- A Taylor Swift fan saw the Eras Tour from her Southwest flight – sort of
Recommendation
-
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are expecting their first child together
-
Taylor Swift Reveals Release Date and First Look at 1989 (Taylor's Version)
-
Special counsel got a search warrant for Twitter to turn over info on Trump’s account, documents say
-
A billion-dollar coastal project begins in Louisiana. Will it work as sea levels rise?
-
Katharine Hayhoe’s Post-Election Advice: Fight Fear, Embrace Hope and Work Together
-
Texas woman Tierra Allen, TikTok's Sassy Trucker, leaves Dubai after arrest for shouting
-
A poet pieces together an uncertain past in 'Memoir of a Kidnapping'
-
Lil Tay, viral influencer and child rapper, dies at 15: 'Entirely unexpected'