Prince George’s County police have arrested and charged a Maryland man for the death of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson, whose disappearance in late August led to the discovery of her body in Anne Arundel County.
Police identified the suspect as Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, 35, of Bowie, who is charged with first- and second-degree murder. Officials say Hernandez-Mendez is being held without bond.
Disappearance and Discovery
According to NBC Washington, Thompson was last seen on the night of Aug. 22 when she left her father’s Lanham home to put gas in her car. Her family reported her missing the next day.
Thompson’s car was found on Aug. 24 near a volunteer fire station with her purse inside but with her phone missing and disabled.
Maryland State Police discovered a body on Aug. 31 in Anne Arundel County. Authorities later confirmed the remains as Thompson, prompting a joint investigation with county detectives.
Surveillance and Evidence
According to court documents cited by NBC Washington, surveillance footage from the early morning of Aug. 23 showed Thompson parking her Ford Edge SUV before walking to a lot behind a Family Dollar store in Langley Park. She was seen approaching a black GMC Yukon Denali, speaking to the driver, and then getting into the front passenger seat.
Reported by ABC News, investigators say the SUV went to a home on Kembridge Drive in Bowie, where evidence indicated Thompson was killed in a bedroom.
Detectives searched that home, where Hernandez-Mendez lived. A roommate told police he overheard the suspect in his room on Aug. 23 with a woman who “did not seem to be having a good time.”
Ongoing Investigation
Detectives are still investigating whether Hernandez-Mendez and Thompson knew each other before Aug. 23. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not released a cause of death but is expected to rule the case a homicide
NBC Washington reports Hernandez-Mendez was living in the United States illegally and had been arrested by U.S. Park Police in April for suspected DUI on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Federal authorities released him pending trial.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Hernandez-Mendez is a Guatemalan national and issued a detainer on Sept. 4.
ICE stated:
“Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, an illegal alien from Guatemala, has been charged with first and second-degree murder in the gruesome death of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson. ICE has issued a detainer for this criminal illegal alien and justice will be served for this Maryland family.”
Community and Government Response
Thompson graduated from St. Charles High School in Waldorf and was working at a nonprofit through the Maryland Service Year Option.
Prince George’s County Executive, Aisha Braveboy, stated to NBC Washington, Thompson was “a good, good, good young woman who wanted to do good for her community,” and the county will support her family as they seek justice.
In a statement released by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Thompson was “taken from us by an act of senseless violence” and was “a bright light in our state.”
In NBC Washington, neighbors in Bowie said they were stunned by the allegations. One woman said, “To hear about what happened to that poor girl, I’m really sorry for the family and I really keep them in my prayers.”
Police urge anyone with information to contact the Prince George’s County Homicide Unit at 301-516-2512 or Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
The investigation continues.
