Authorities say they have discovered a body believed to be missing Florida college student Miya Marcano.
The body was found in a wooded area near an apartment complex in Orange County. Authorities have notified Marcano’s parents of the discovery.
“Obviously, this is not the update I wanted to give to everyone today,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference. “Our hearts are broken. Everyone wanted this outcome to be different.”
Marcano was last seen Sept. 24. She disappeared from her home in the Arden Villas apartment complex in Orlando, which is about a mile from the University of Central Florida.
The 19-year-old was a sophomore at Valencia College and worked in the leasing office at the complex. Marcano was scheduled to fly home to Fort Lauderdale on the September 25 but never arrived for her flight.
Orange County Sheriff’s deputies searched near a different Orlando apartment complex, Tymber Skan on the Lake, where they discovered the remains at about 10:45 a.m. Saturday in a wooded area. A purse with Marcano’s identification was also located near the body, according to the sheriff.
Deputies searched the area after cell phone records showed that Armando Manuel Caballero, whom authorities called a “prime suspect,” was in or near the apartments the same evening Marcano was reported missing. According to police, Caballero went there for about 20 minutes.
Caballero, 27, was a maintenance worker at the Arden Villas apartment complex. According to authorities, Marcano repeatedly turned down his romantic advances. Investigators said Caballero had access to a master key and used it to let himself inside Marcano’s unit.
He was found dead this week from an apparent suicide, according to authorities.
“We believe pretty conclusively that Armando Caballero is responsible for this crime and there is not any other person or persons that we are looking for in this case,” the sheriff said.
According to WESH 2, Marcano’s family has hired prominent attorney Daryl K. Washington, who said the family wants justice for the college student’s death.
“Death is something that is very difficult, but what makes death even more difficult is when it’s death that could’ve been prevented,” Washington said during a Sunday press conference. “It’s very awful that we have a complex that did not take the proper precautions to assure that this young lady is safe.”