Person of Interest Left a Key in the Texas Home Where a Strangled 11-Year-Old Girl Was Found: Police

Police in Pasadena, Texas, are asking for the public's help to locate a person of interest who they say left behind an apartment key where the body of an 11-year-old girl was found underneath a bed.

“Our investigators would like to speak to him," Police Chief Josh Bruegger said at a press conference on Friday, referring to Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez. "The key goes to the apartment he was staying in."

Maria Gonzalez was home alone on Saturday morning when she texted her father Carmelo Gonzalez at work. In the message, the girl told her dad a stranger was knocking at the door.

Carmelo, who is from Guatemala, told her not to open the door for anyone. Soon after, he lost contact with his daughter.

Her father called relatives who lived nearby. They went to check on the girl, arriving to find the door unlocked but no sign of Maria anywhere.

When Carmelo returned to their apartment, he searched for her, eventually finding a lifeless Maria in a trash bag under his bed, Bruegger confirmed.

Maria was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said that she was sexually assaulted by her killer and sustained blunt force trauma to the head.

In the course of the investigation, law enforcement interviewed about 10 people, including 18-year-old Garcia-Rodriguez. They have released his photo from an image taken from an officer’s body cam.

In an effort to eliminate suspects, police said Garcia-Rodriguez voluntarily gave them a DNA sample but added that "nothing stood out at the time" of their initial interview.

Garcia-Rodriguez had been living with two roommates for about three to four weeks but told them on Monday that he was leaving, according to police.

When the roommates asked him for the key, he said he was "going to hang onto it," Bruegger said, adding that "he didn’t have the key," which was found at the crime scene on Saturday.

According to Bruegger, Garcia-Rodriguez told the roommates he was leaving and "going to work somewhere else."

Now, Bruegger said, "His whereabouts are unknown."

Garcia-Rodriguez, a resident of Guatemala, has been in the U.S. since at least January, according to officials. He stayed with sponsors in Baton Rouge, La., before arriving in Pasadena about four weeks ago.

The roommates allowed him to stay, but police said they didn’t really know each other. Bruegger said the roommates have been cooperative throughout the investigation.

Police said Garcia-Rodriguez and Carmelo’s apartments were in close proximity but they did not know each other.

The Department of Homeland Security has been made aware of the investigation and if Garcia-Rodriguez attempts to cross the Mexico border, Pasadena Police will be notified.

“We’re doing everything we can (to get justice for Maria),” Bruegger said. “It’s a horrific crime and we’re leaving no stone unturned.”

Investigators have submitted DNA samples to the county’s Institute of Forensic Science and are waiting for results to be returned.

While they wait, Maria’s family told investigators they are “grateful” for the community’s support and the police efforts to bring justice for their daughter.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers may pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging and/or arrest of the suspect(s) in this case. Information may be reported by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477).