Maria Gonzalez & Father Carmelo Gonzalez: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Maria Gonzalez was an 11-year-old girl who was found by her father strangled to death and hidden under her bed in the family’s apartment in Pasadena, Texas, according to Pasadena police.

Police have accused 18-year-old Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez of murdering Maria; they say the suspect was living in the same apartment complex after being released by immigration authorities to sponsors in January and that he is not in the country legally.

Pasadena PoliceMaria Gonzalez suspect

In a press release on August 15, 2023, the Pasadena Police Department in Texas announced that an 11-year-old girl had been found murdered on August 12. They identified the child as Gonzalez and her father as Carmelo Gonzalez. Her father is not a suspect, according to authorities.

Police say the child was strangled and asphyxiated.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Carmelo Gonzalez Called 911 & Told Police His Daughter ‘Was Not Breathing,’ Authorities Say

On Saturday, August 12, 2023, at approximately 3:07 p.m., the dispatch center received a call from “a male stating that his 11 year-old daughter was not breathing,” the press release says.

When officers arrived, medics were already providing medical aid to the child, later identified as Maria Gonzalez. She was pronounced deceased, it adds.

Members of the Violent Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Unit were dispatched to the apartment for further investigation, according to authorities. Detectives “determined that the victim had been found under a bed by her father after returning home from work,” the release says.

2. Pasadena Police Say Maria Told Her Father ‘Someone Was Knocking at the Front Door’

According to police, the father, Carmelo Gonzalez, “left for work earlier that morning and had been in communication with Maria via cell phone.”

The last “communication he received from Maria was a message stating that someone was knocking at the front door,” the news release says.

The medical examiner determined the cause of death was asphyxiation due to strangulation, it adds. “Additional investigation determined that the victim was sexually assaulted,” the release says.

People with information should contact Detective M. Quintanilla at 713-475-7803 or Detective S. Mata at 713-475-7878, according to the news release.

According to KHOU-TV, Carmelo Gonzalez says he told Maria not to answer the door, and she said she would not and would stay in bed.

3. Pasadena Police Say Maria Gonzalez’s Father’s Alibi ‘Checks Out’

Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger said Carmelo Gonzalez is not a suspect at this point, according to ABC13.

“At this point, the father’s alibi checks out, so he is, at this point, not considered a suspect in this investigation,” Bruegger said.

ABC13 reported that, according to the chief, the father and daughter had lived in the apartment for three months while the mother remains in Guatemala.

4. Maria Gonzalez Was Discovered Wrapped in a Trash Bag & ‘Stuffed in a Laundry Basket,’ Reports Say

According to KHOU-TV, the girl’s father says he found her “wrapped in a trash bag and stuffed in a laundry basket that was put beneath her bed.”

At one point, according to the television station, Carmelo Gonzalez says he called relatives and asked them to check on Maria, but they said they could not find her.

Police told KHOU that there was no forced entry to the home and nothing was taken.

5. A GoFundMe Page Is Raising Money to Help Maria’s Family With Funeral Expenses

There is a GoFundMe page to help Maria’s family with funeral expenses.

It reads:

My name is April Aguirre I am a Crime victim advocate. I am creating this go fund me with permission of Carmelo Gonzalez. All funds will go to the Gonzalez family. This family is going through unimaginable pain. Carmelo found his 11-year-old daughter strangled to death under her bed on Saturday August the 12th. Pasadena police have ruled out Carmelo as a suspect. He is grieving and needing help with funeral expenses to return his daughter to Guatemala where her family is. Thousands of families come to the United States to fulfill the American dream, a dream that for Carmelo has turned into a nightmare. If you cannot donate, please pray for this family. This is a horrific crime, Pasadena police is still looking for leads. If you have any information please contact Crime stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

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