Current:Home > Stocks18-year-old arrested in killing of Texas girl Maria Gonzalez, 11; body found under her bed -Thrive Money Mindset
18-year-old arrested in killing of Texas girl Maria Gonzalez, 11; body found under her bed
View
Date:2025-04-27 20:53:42
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! (6473)
Related
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Joining Trend, NY Suspends Review of Oil Train Terminal Permit
- EPA Agrees Its Emissions Estimates From Flaring May Be Flawed
- Demi Lovato Recalls Feeling So Relieved After Receiving Bipolar Diagnosis
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- 18 Grossly Satisfying Beauty Products With Instant Results
- The Bear's Jeremy Allen White and Wife Addison Timlin Break Up After 3 Years of Marriage
- Proof Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Daughter Blue Ivy Is Her Mini-Me at Renaissance World Tour
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Dakota Access Opponents Thinking Bigger, Aim to Halt Entire Pipeline
Ranking
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Feds move to block $69 billion Microsoft-Activision merger
- 6 shot in crowded Houston parking lot after disturbance in nightclub, police say
- 1 person dead after tour boat capsizes inside cave along the Erie Canal
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- I'm Crying Cuz... I'm Human
- City Centers Are Sweltering. Trees Could Bring Back Some of Their Cool.
- Anxiety Is Up. Here Are Some Tips On How To Manage It.
Recommendation
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
Kim Zolciak Spotted Without Wedding Ring Amid Kroy Biermann Divorce
Mother’s Day Last-Minute Gifts: Coach, Sephora, Nordstrom & More With Buy Now, Pick Up In Store
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Kathy Hilton Shares Hunky Dory Mother’s Day Gifts Starting at $5
Bodycam footage shows high
EU Unveils ‘Green Deal’ Plan to Get Europe Carbon Neutral by 2050
Local Bans on Fracking Hang in the Balance in Colorado Ballot Fight
4 shot, 2 critically injured, in the midst of funeral procession near Chicago