The Brief
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- Suspect Hugo Hernandez-Mendez appeared in court Monday.
- Dacara Thompson vanished August 23; her body was later found.
- Police say she was killed in Bowie and dumped off Route 50.
- UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – The man accused of killing 19-year-old Dacara Thompson will remain behind bars after appearing in court Monday. Thompson was reported missing on August 23 and wasn’t found until nearly two weeks later, when her body was discovered in Anne Arundel County.
- Authorities say she was killed in a Bowie home and her body was later discarded off a Route 50 bridge, roughly seven miles away. The suspect, 35-year-old Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, who U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say is living in the country illegally, now faces first- and second-degree murder charges.
What we know:
Investigators say surveillance video helped identify Hernandez-Mendez as the suspect.READ MORE: Dacara Thompson investigation: Hugo Hernandez-Mendez arrested, charged with teen’s murder
- According to court documents, Thompson was seen on video early on August 23 approaching the driver’s side of his black GMC Yukon Denali. She appeared to speak with him briefly before getting into the front passenger seat. The SUV was later tracked to his Kembridge Drive residence in Bowie.
Police have not said why they think Thompson approached the vehicle or what the motive may have been. Her father told investigators she had texted that she was going to get gas. The family reported her missing the next day.
What they’re saying:
Maryland State Police discovered Thompson’s body while responding to a disabled vehicle along Route 50. An autopsy revealed skull and facial fractures, and investigators found blood evidence in both the suspect’s bedroom and SUV, according to unredacted charging documents obtained by The Washington Post.
READ MORE: Hugo Hernandez-Mendez: Who is the man charged in Dacara Thompson’s murder?
Thompson was a recent graduate of St. Charles High School and worked for Nonprofit Prince George’s County.
Officials say Hernandez-Mendez had previously been arrested by U.S. Park Police for DUI but was released. A federal detainer has been lodged against him.
He told police he had been at Galaxy Nightclub in Hyattsville the night Thompson was last seen, just across the street from where she entered his vehicle.
What’s next:
Hernandez-Mendez is due back in court for a preliminary hearing Oct. 8.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and previous FOX 5 reporting.
