Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, an 18-year-old, has been arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, in connection with the tragic death of Maria Gonzalez, 11, from Pasadena, Texas, Your Content has learned. On August 12, Maria was found deceased under a bed, her body concealed within a plastic trash bag inside a laundry basket.
According to KHOU-TV, Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger detailed Garcia-Rodriguez’s complex background. A native of Guatemala, he was initially apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection earlier this year and was subsequently released to sponsors in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. These sponsors, hoping to help him find employment and housing, connected with contacts in Pasadena, Texas. This led Garcia-Rodriguez to the same apartment complex where young Maria resided.
Before his arrest, Garcia-Rodriguez shared an apartment in Pasadena with two roommates for approximately three to four weeks. These roommates claimed they didn’t know him very well. A pivotal element in the investigation is a mysterious apartment key. The roommates attempted to retrieve this key from Garcia-Rodriguez before he disappeared, but he resisted. This very key was later located in the Gonzalez family’s residence and is now undergoing DNA analysis.
Garcia-Rodriguez is now awaiting extradition to Texas. Bruegger had previously indicated that the Pasadena police simply intended to interview him for more details. The case’s urgency intensified when the police, concerned he might attempt to leave the U.S., alerted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about Garcia-Rodriguez.
In their profound sorrow, the Gonzalez family expressed gratitude for the police’s efforts. Speaking to KHOU, they said: “This arrest has brought the family and community some peace.
“We are extremely thankful that he cannot cause this type of pain to anybody again.” Their pursuit of justice remains unwavering: “I ask for those who are in charge to give us justice. May he be burdened with the full weight of the law, for what he has done to my daughter.”