Authorities in Maryland have charged a 35-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala in connection with the murder of 19-year-old DaCara Thompson, whose body was discovered near a bridge on Route 50 in Anne Arundel County on August 31.
Prince George’s County Police confirmed Friday that Thompson was identified as the victim and that Hugo Hernandez-Mendez has been charged with second-degree murder.
Interim Chief George Nader provided details of the arrest, according to WUSA.
Thompson had been reported missing by her father on the night of August 23 after she failed to return home.
Her father told police he last saw her on August 22 and had called her the following night when she did not come back.
The last contact he received from her was a text message on August 22 indicating she was getting gas and going out.
On August 24, Thompson’s family tracked her phone to the intersection of Jasmine Terrace and Riggs Road in Hyattsville, where they located her car and contacted police.
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Maryland State Police later responded to Route 50 near Maryland Route 424 and Maryland Route 97 in Annapolis on August 31 around 4:50 p.m., where a disabled vehicle had been reported on a bridge over the South River.
Court documents indicate troopers spotted Thompson’s body roughly 30 feet below on a river embankment.
She was nude and had visible injuries.
Thompson’s family met with detectives on September 3 and identified her from photographs shared during the investigation.
Surveillance video from the early morning hours of August 23 showed Thompson leaving her white SUV and walking along Riggs Road toward University Boulevard.
She was then seen approaching a black GMC Yukon Denali in a business parking lot and entering the passenger side.
Investigators determined that the Denali was registered to an address in Bowie, Maryland, where it is believed Hernandez-Mendez took her at around 3:47 a.m.
Thompson’s phone was deactivated by 5:03 a.m.
Detectives located the SUV at the Bowie residence on September 3.
In the early hours of September 4, officers saw a man leave the home and get into the vehicle.
Police stopped the driver, identified him as Hernandez-Mendez, and detained him.
Hernandez-Mendez told authorities he had been at the Galaxy Night Club on University Boulevard in the early hours of August 23, which is located near where Thompson was last seen entering the SUV.
He denied involvement in her disappearance and requested a lawyer.
Investigators believe Thompson was killed inside Hernandez-Mendez’s bedroom during the morning of August 23, and that he later transported her body to Route 50, where he allegedly threw it from the bridge.
According to charging documents cited by WJZ, a roommate told police they recalled hearing Hernandez-Mendez “having sex” followed by a “grunting noise which made it believe that someone wasn’t enjoying the sex.”
A search of the Bowie home reportedly uncovered blood believed to belong to the victim, a missing fingernail, hair, and other items of evidence.
Police also seized multiple pairs of women’s underwear and lingerie.
GRAPHIC DETAILS: Criminal illegal alien released under sanctuary city law brutally murdered Maryland teenager, thew her body off a bridge pic.twitter.com/JtaujVPANA
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 7, 2025
Thompson’s family launched a GoFundMe campaign originally intended to support search efforts and a private investigator.
Following the discovery of her body, the fundraiser shifted to cover funeral expenses.
“Dacara was a beautiful, kind-hearted young woman who brought joy to everyone around her, and her absence has created a void that words can’t fill,” the family wrote.
The campaign has raised more than $27,000.
Hernandez-Mendez remains in custody as the investigation continues.
Authorities have not yet released information regarding his immigration history beyond confirmation that he is in the country illegally.
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