On Saturday, Pasadena authorities found 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez strangled in a plastic bag under a bed in the apartment she shared with her father.
Pasadena Police were alerted by a distressed call from her father, Carmelo Gonzalez, who discovered Maria unresponsive. Paramedics pronounced her deceased upon arrival.
Earlier in the day, after Gonzalez had left for work, Maria texted him about someone knocking at the door. He advised her not to answer it. Concerned for her safety, the dad reached out to relatives in the same complex to check on Maria. She was not initially found during a search.
Chief Josh Bruegger, during a Tuesday briefing, shared medical findings which confirmed Maria succumbed to asphyxiation, exhibiting signs of strangulation and head trauma. Preliminary investigations also showed indications of sexual assault.
Notably, there were no signs of forced entry into the apartment. Presently, Gonzalez’s whereabouts at the time align with his account, ruling him out as a suspect.
Maria had lived in the apartment with her father for three months, while her mother resides in Guatemala.
To assist in the investigation, DNA samples from the complex’s residents are being collected. Acquiring testimony from potential witnesses remains a challenge.