Suspected killer of missing Maryland woman Dacara Thompson held without bail
The man accused of killing 19-year-old Dacara Thompson of Prince George's County, Maryland, was denied bail on Monday. Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, 35, of Guatemala, is charged with first and second-degree murder.
Thompson was reported missing on August 23, after she left home and never returned.
Her father, Daniel Thompson, said she left their Lanham house around 10 p.m. the previous night to get gas. He last spoke with her over text just before midnight.
"I got gas and I'm out. I should be back soon. I love you too. Goodnight," her final text read. Daniel Thompson said it was the last time he heard from his daughter.
More than a week later, on August 31, a woman's body was found in a grassy area off Route 50 in Anne Arundel County. That body was identified as Dacara Thompson late last week.
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez arrested
Hernandez-Mendez, who authorities say was living in the United States without legal status, was charged last week with killing Thompson. According to court records, he worked for a landscaping company based in Baltimore.
Surveillance video showed Thompson leaving her white Ford Edge SUV at a nightclub in Hyattsville on the night of August 22.
Police said she approached Hernandez-Mendez's GMC Yukon Denali and, after a brief conversation, walked to the passenger side and got into the front seat.
Investigators said Hernandez-Mendez then drove to his home in the 12000 block of Kembridge Drive in Bowie, where he allegedly killed her.
Charging documents allege Hernandez-Mendez then threw Thompson's body off the U.S. 50 bridge into the South River, a drop police estimated at more than 30 feet.
Thompson's body had skull and facial fractures, and her family identified her through her tattoos and jewelry, police said.
U.S. Park Police arrested Hernandez-Mendez on a DUI charge five months ago, but released him.
A cousin told police Hernandez-Mendez has a "drinking and drug problem," according to court documents.
Charged with murder
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez's first court appearance lasted less than five minutes. A judge ruled he would remain in a no-bond status, and there would be no pre-trial options in his case due to the nature of the allegations.
Hernandez-Mendez is facing first-degree and second-degree murder charges in Thompson's death. His arrest came after weeks of her family searching the region for her.
Tara Jackson, Prince George's County State's Attorney, said Monday afternoon the investigation into Thompson's death is still very active and all she's trying to do is bring justice to Thompson and her family.
"I just want justice served"
Dacara Thompson's mother, Carmen Thompson, has been at the forefront of her daughter's search. On Monday, she came to the front again moments after Hernandez-Mendez's court hearing.
"I just want justice served for my daughter," Carmen Thompson told reporters.
The motive is still under investigation. An autopsy is also still pending.
"She had just completed a yearlong program, [the Maryland Service Year Option], she did a great job," Carmen Thompson said of her daughter. "She was a great...kind of an outgoing, soft spoken, kind, young lady."
Hernandez-Mendez's legal status and criminal history
Hernandez-Mendez is in the country illegally, originally from Guatemala, according to court records.
He was also in federal custody earlier this year when U.S. Park Police arrested him for DUI. However, he was let go.
Carmen Thompson said it's been hard for her to learn that.
"We may not be here today if they did what they were supposed to do," she said.
Meanwhile, State's Attorney Jackson stressed Monday that Hernandez-Mendez's legal status is the least of her concerns in this case, far behind getting justice for the Thompson family.
"My concern is to hold accountable people who commit crimes against the residents of Prince George's County," Jackson said.
Hernandez-Mendez is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 8 for a preliminary hearing.
