Ex-Boyfriend, Ariel Cruz Charged with Murder After Missing Woman, Idania Campos, is Found Dead in Car Trunk By Her Father

In a tragic turn of events, a Texas father made the agonizing discovery of his missing 21-year-old daughter's lifeless body in the trunk of her car on Tuesday evening. The victim, Idania Campos, was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend, Ariel Cruz, who has since been arrested and charged with murder.

The chain of events leading to this heartbreaking discovery began when Campos' family members grew concerned after she failed to show up for school on Tuesday. Her mother, who last spoke to her at around 8:20 a.m., joined the search efforts along with other family members. 

After reaching out to Campos' friends and visiting her last-known location in Houston's Meylerland neighborhood, they found no sign of her and called 911.

Police officers responded to the scene but found nothing suspicious at the time, taking a missing person's report. However, the situation took a devastating turn later that day around 5:40 p.m. when a family member forced entry into Campos' Honda car and opened the trunk, revealing the unresponsive body of Campos inside.

Neighbor Jenna Gonzalez, who witnessed the heartbreaking discovery, provided a bat and a towel to Campos' father to assist in accessing the car. "I popped the trunk, and there she was, just laying there," Gonzalez tearfully recounted to ABC 13. "There was no way to save her. There was too much blood."

Houston Fire Department paramedics arrived at the scene and pronounced Campos deceased. Upon examining the body, they noted signs of trauma to her face.

Further investigation led to the identification of Ariel Cruz as the suspect. Cruz, who was present at the scene during the initial search for Campos, had been assisting in the efforts alongside the family. However, he was later detained and interviewed by homicide detectives.

According to ABC 13 and Click2Houston, 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," Bobbie Munoz, Campos' aunt, expressed her anguish to ABC 13.

Cruz is currently being held at the Harris County Jail on a $600,000 bond. It remains unclear whether he has retained legal representation.

This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please reach out for help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233. You are not alone.

 

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