Found Key Leads To Person Of Interest In Texas Girl’s Killing

Authorities are looking for a teen who lived in the identical condominium 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, stated at a press convention that investigators found a key inside Gonzalez’s condominium and discovered that it opened Garcia-Rodriguez’s unit.

“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 stated in an announcement.

Gonzalez was discovered useless Saturday. Her father, Carmelo Gonzalez, known 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 instructed 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 relations to verify on her on the condominium, however they have been unable to find her.

“I instructed 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 instructed Houston’s Fox 26.

When the daddy returned, he discovered the 11-year-old useless however no signal of pressured entry on the condominium.

Health workers decided that the lady had been strangled, and that she’d been sexually assaulted earlier than dying.

Bruegger stated police interviewed neighbors on the condominium constructing Saturday. Amongst them was Garcia-Rodriguez, from whom police additionally collected a DNA pattern.

Authorities stated Garcia-Rodriguez had been residing within the condominium constructing for 3 to 4 weeks however moved out Monday. His two roommates, who didn’t know the 18-year-old nicely, instructed officers that Garcia-Rodriguez stated he was leaving to search out work some place else, however didn’t flip over his key earlier than transferring out.

Initially from Guatemala, Garcia-Rodriguez was final seen on the condominium complicated 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.