A week following the discovery of a sexually assaulted and strangled girl inside her Pasadena apartment, the search for the suspect in her murder has concluded. Pasadena authorities have confirmed the arrest of Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, an 18-year-old, by the Shreveport police.
Records indicate that he was detained on Saturday and is presently being held in the Caddo Parish Jail. He awaits extradition to Texas. Insider sources reveal that he has admitted to the crime.
In an interview on Saturday with ABC13, his roommate, who wished to remain anonymous, mentioned, “I thought he was a decent person, but no, he’s not. He had only been living with me for less than a month when he allegedly killed our neighbor, 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez.”
April Aguirre, acting as a translator for the Gonzalez family, expressed her belief that Garcia-Rodriguez took advantage of living in close proximity to the girl. Maria’s father, Carmelo Gonzalez, reported to investigators that he left for work around 9:45 a.m. last Saturday.
At approximately 10 a.m., he received a text from Maria informing him that someone was knocking on their door. Police now suspect that the person at the door was their neighbor, Garcia-Rodriguez. When Maria ceased responding to her father’s messages, he dispatched his brother, who resides a few doors away, to check on her.
According to the roommate, Garcia-Rodriguez displayed normal behavior on that Saturday. He only became aware that something was amiss when Maria’s uncle came to his door inquiring about her whereabouts. He recounted, “He searched the bathroom, the closet, looking for her.”
Carmelo Gonzalez also arrived at the apartment. Around 3 p.m., he discovered Maria’s body wrapped in a trash bag in a clothes hamper beneath her bed. She had been strangled, physically assaulted, and sexually abused.
Two days later, Garcia-Rodriguez informed his roommate that he was departing for a job. When asked for his key, he refused to surrender it. He reassured me, “I won’t be gone for long. I’ll be back. Don’t worry.” An urgent search is in progress to locate Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, considered a person of interest in the brutal murder of 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez.
Pasadena police believe Garcia-Rodriguez left his key at the crime scene. However, Chief Jeff Bruegger stated that investigators were unaware this key unlocked his apartment door until after his departure on Monday.
Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger explained how his team linked an 18-year-old to the sexual assault and strangulation of an 11-year-old girl.
In January, Garcia-Rodriguez, a Guatemalan national, voluntarily surrendered to US Customs and Border Protection in El Paso. He was subsequently released to his immigration sponsors in Louisiana. Bruegger noted that they reside in the Baton Rouge area. During a press conference on Friday, he informed reporters that their attempts to contact the sponsors had been unsuccessful.
The roommate of Garcia-Rodriguez expressed relief at the arrest.
After nearly collapsing at a Friday evening vigil, Carmelo Gonzalez requested time to mourn. He released a statement that read, “We express our gratitude to the Pasadena Police Department, Louisiana police, and all involved officials for apprehending this ruthless murderer.
This arrest has brought some solace to our family and community. We are immensely thankful that he can no longer inflict such agony on anyone else. We implore the authorities to ensure justice prevails. May he bear the full weight of the law for the atrocities he committed against my daughter.”
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