The Pasadena Police Department held a press conference on August 18, 2023, appealing to the public for help in the case of the murder of 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez in Pasadena, Texas. The authorities announced that they were seeking assistance in locating 18-year-old Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, who was later apprehended in Shreveport, Louisiana, in connection with the crime.
Garcia-Rodriguez, a Guatemalan migrant who crossed the US-Mexico border in January, lived in the same apartment complex as Maria and her family. Following intensive investigations, corroborating information and subsequent evidence emerged, pointing towards Garcia-Rodriguez's involvement in the tragic incident.
As a result, charges of capital murder were accepted by the Harris County District Attorney's office and formally filed through the Harris County District Court. A warrant for Garcia-Rodriguez's arrest was subsequently issued.
In a remarkable turn of events, the Shreveport Police Department in Louisiana successfully took Garcia-Rodriguez into custody. He is presently confined at the Caddo Parish Correctional Center, awaiting extradition to Texas to face the charges against him.
The Gonzalez family expressed gratitude to both the Pasadena Police Department and the Louisiana police for their efforts in apprehending the suspect. In a statement, they conveyed their appreciation: "We want to say thank you to the Pasadena Police Department and to Louisiana police and any officials that participated in bringing this cold-blooded murderer into custody. 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. 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."