HOUSTON, TEXAS – A devastating tragedy unfolded in Houston when a father discovered the lifeless body of his missing 21-year-old daughter in the trunk of her car. Authorities have now charged Ariel Cruz, a 19-year-old, with the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Idania Campos.
Court documents obtained by ABC 13, KHOU 11, and Click2Houston indicate Cruz allegedly killed Campos after the pair broke up. Concern arose when Campos failed to attend school on Tuesday, leading her family to visit her last-known location in Houston’s Meylerland neighborhood. They contacted the police when they couldn’t find her. Although nothing seemed amiss at first, the family’s shocking discovery later that day would change everything.
Authorities revealed that her father forcibly entered Campos’ Honda. The neighbor, Jenna Gonzalez, helped Campos’ father gain access to the vehicle. Gonzalez stated that she popped the trunk and found Campos’ unresponsive body; this was around 5:40 p.m. “There was no way to save her. There was too much blood,” Gonzalez told ABC 13. Responding paramedics from the Houston Fire Department pronounced Campos dead at the scene and discovered signs of trauma to her face.
“Further investigation identified a suspect as Cruz, who was on the scene along with the family in their search for the victim,” authorities said in the release. Homicide detectives subsequently interviewed Cruz. During the interview, Cruz allegedly confessed to his involvement in Campos’ death.
“I guess because he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want us to have her either,” expressed Campos’ aunt, Bobbie Munoz, to ABC 13. Cruz remains in custody at the Harris County Jail with a bond set at $600,000, while it remains unclear if he has an attorney to represent him.
Cruz remains held at the Harris County Jail on a $600,000 bond.
In other, comparable news:
Durham Woman Charged with Murder After Body Found in Trunk
(Durham, N.C.) – The Durham Police Department has made a second arrest in connection with a 2022 murder at a Durham apartment complex. Jamaree Green, 20, has been charged with the murder of Jivon Cherry, 39, whose body was discovered in the trunk of a car parked at the Falls Pointe at the Park Apartments.
Green, who was arrested by the Georgia State Patrol on August 15, has been charged with first-degree murder and felony conspiracy. Following his extradition from Georgia, he was placed in the Durham County Jail on December 8 without bond.
Sianne Wright, 23, was charged with the same offenses on September 30, 2022. The relationship between Wright, Green, and Cherry remains unclear.