Authorities are trying to find a teen who lived in the identical condo constructing as an 11-year-old Texas lady after her physique was discovered beneath her mattress final week, police introduced on Friday.
Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, 18, has been recognized as an individual of curiosity within the killing of the lady, Maria Gonzalez. The chief of the Pasadena police, Josh Bruegger, mentioned at a press convention that investigators found a key inside Gonzalez’s condo and discovered that it opened Garcia-Rodriguez’s unit.
Pasadena Police Division
“This key has since been processed by our crime scene investigators and was not discovered to open any doorways on the sufferer’s residence.” Pasadena police mentioned in an announcement.
Gonzalez was discovered lifeless Saturday. Her father, Carmelo Gonzalez, referred to as police to report that he’d found her physique, which was wrapped inside a rubbish bag and stuffed in a laundry basket.
Carmelo Gonzalez informed officers that his daughter texted him shortly after he left for work, saying a stranger was knocking on the entrance door. Involved that the lady quickly stopped responding, the daddy requested members of the family to test on her on the condo, however they had been unable to find her.
“I informed her don’t open the door as a result of I’m arriving at work, and she or he responded I’m in my mattress,” Carmelo Gonzalez informed Houston’s Fox 26.
When the daddy returned, he discovered the 11-year-old lifeless however no signal of pressured entry on the condo.
Health workers decided that the lady had been strangled, and that she’d been sexually assaulted earlier than dying.
Bruegger mentioned police interviewed neighbors on the condo constructing Saturday. Amongst them was Garcia-Rodriguez, from whom police additionally collected a DNA pattern.
Authorities mentioned Garcia-Rodriguez had been residing within the condo constructing for 3 to 4 weeks however moved out Monday. His two roommates, who didn’t know the 18-year-old properly, informed officers that Garcia-Rodriguez mentioned he was leaving to search out work some other place, however didn’t flip over his key earlier than transferring out.
Initially from Guatemala, Garcia-Rodriguez was final seen on the condo advanced Monday. His present whereabouts are unknown.
No arrest has been made within the case.
Need assistance? Go to RAINN’s Nationwide Sexual Assault On-line Hotline or the Nationwide Sexual Violence Useful resource Middle’s web site.