An illegal immigrant accused of killing a 19-year-old woman was ordered to stay behind bars Monday in Prince George’s County, as investigators try to piece together how the two knew each other before she was allegedly killed in his bedroom.
A Prince George’s County District Court judge said Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, 35, will be held without a bond during a hearing in Upper Marlboro. The Guatemalan national faces first- and second-degree murder charges in last month’s slaying of Da’Cara Thompson of Lanham.
Police said Thompson had been missing for a week when her naked body was found Aug. 31 near the South River by Route 50 in Anne Arundel County.
Investigators said they obtained surveillance video that showed Thompson approaching a black GMC Yukon Denali around 3 a.m. on Aug. 23 in the Langley Park area of Prince George’s County. After a short conversation with the driver, she hopped inside the vehicle’s passenger seat.
“For reasons still under investigation, it appears that Da’Cara willfully entered a vehicle” connected to the suspect, Prince George’s County Police Chief George Nader said Friday at a press conference.
Police said Mr. Hernandez-Mendez was known to drive the same model SUV with Maryland tags.
According to investigators, the pair went to a house in the 12000 block of Kembridge Drive in Bowie. Mr. Hernandez-Mendez is accused of killing Thompson inside one of the bedrooms.
One of the suspect’s roommates told detectives that he heard Mr. Hernandez-Mendez having sex with a woman who “did not seem to be having a good time” on the same morning Thompson approached the SUV.
Investigators said Thompson’s phone had been disabled after she went missing. Her car, which had her purse inside, was found Aug. 24.
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said U.S. Park Police arrested the suspect in April on an impaired driving charge.
Ms. Braveboy said the county government released Mr. Hernandez-Mendez while his trial progressed, but no records of his case exist in the federal judiciary database.
The Washington Times has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland for comment.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer for the suspect following his arrest last week. The federal agency’s Baltimore field office has accused Prince George’s County of being uncooperative in handing over illegal immigrants arrested for crimes.
“Prince George’s County endanger the safety of its residents by refusing to honor ICE detainers and releasing criminal illegal aliens back into the community to reoffend,” ICE said in a statement. “We can only hope that’s not the case with Hernandez-Mendez.”
Ms. Braveboy said Thompson graduated from St. Charles High School in Charles County and was working for a nonprofit when she was slain.
“This is a young woman who dedicated part of her young life to serving others, and I want that to bring home to all of you that this is a good young woman who wanted to do good for her community, and now her community will stand behind her family as we seek justice for her,” the Democratic county executive said last week.
Thompson’s death reached the highest levels of the state government, with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore calling the 19-year-old a “bright light in our state.”
“We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure those responsible for this crime are held accountable and honor Da’Cara’s legacy of service through our unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of all Marylanders,” Mr. Moore, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Mr. Hernandez-Mendez is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Oct. 8.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.