Naasson Hazzard, a 28-year-old truck driver from Austin, has been found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Caleigha Zangari, a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran who had become a victim of sex trafficking.
Evidence presented during the nine-day trial, including surveillance footage and cellphone data, tracked Zangari getting into Hazzard’s truck in Dallas on August 15. Days later, her remains were discovered in a wooded area, reported Fox 4 KDFW.
Evidence revealed troubling details, such as Hazzard’s efforts to cover up his involvement by deleting location data and switching phones after the incident.
Here is the rest of the story from Fox:
TEXAS – A federal jury convicted a Texas truck driver of picking up a sex worker in Dallas and then dumping her dead body in the woods of East Texas.
The Austin-based truck driver will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars for the killing.
The victim of the family says she was a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran who was also the victim of sex trafficking.
What we know:
After a nine-day trial, a jury convicted Naasson Hazzard, 28, of kidnapping and killing a 25-year-old woman.
According to trial evidence, surveillance video captured the woman getting into Hazzard’s semi-truck in Northwest Dallas near Harry Hines on Aug. 15.
Eight days later, her decomposing body was found 120 miles away in Pittsburg, Texas.
Victim of Sex Trafficking
What we know:
Amanda Pettit with Rescue Hill, a non-profit providing resources to human trafficking victims, says the pick-up began in Dallas’ “blade,” a slang term referring to a street where prostitution is common.
“That was in the Harry Hines area, and that’s considered our blade,” she explained.
Family members have identified the woman as 25-year-old Caleigha Zangari, from San Diego, California. They tell FOX 4 she spent time in the Army. Somewhere down the line, she became a sex-trafficking victim.
“You pass them by every single day, and you don’t realize the situations they are in,” said Pettit.
The backstory:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas says Zangari had online sex ads posted in Dallas from Aug. 9-15
Hazzard exchanged more than a dozen messages with her. On Aug. 15, surveillance video shows Zangari getting into Hazzard’s truck.
“He picked her up, and there’s no video of him dropping her off again,” said Pettit. “Her car was still in the parking lot as if she was coming back to the car.”
Damning Evidence
What we know:
On the night of the kidnapping, phone records tracked Hazzard’s movements.
Records show Hazzard traveling to a parking lot where he met Zangari. He stayed there for about 17 minutes before driving off to East Texas.
Cell data shows Hazzard’s phone and Zangari’s phone pinged in the same areas at the same time until her phone was turned off. Investigators found it on the side of LBJ Freeway.
Belongings left in Zangari’s vehicle at the parking lot were later found by investigators.
While he was in Pittsburg, Texas, Hazzard texted his boss saying he would be out sick the next day. He stayed in the area for about an hour before completing a work assignment.
The next day, records show Hazzard and his wife returned to the area before having dinner in nearby Tyler.
Following the visit to East Texas, police discovered Hazzard had switched phones, deleted his Google and Life360 location-sharing accounts and cleaned his truck with bleach.
Authorities also uncovered incriminating search histories:
Hazzard searched: “how many years for first second and third-degree murder.”
His wife searched: “Pittsburg Texas news.”
Zangari’s body was found with a black plastic bag tied over her head. However an exact cause of death was not released.
What they’re saying:
“These women are not trash,” Pettit said. “These women are human.”
Pettit says, unfortunately, it’s all too common for sex trafficking victims to also become victims of violence.
“Never, ever, ever, one time have I worked with a woman who said she didn’t get beat,” she said.
Truck Driver Faces Life in Prison
What’s next:
Naasson Hazzard’s sentencing is scheduled for June 12.
Although Hazzard has not yet been sentenced, the charge he was convicted of carries an automatic life sentence. He was charged via criminal complaint in August and indicted in October.
Hazzard will remain in detention until his sentencing.
