A young man confessed to killing his former girlfriend, whose body was found stuffed in the trunk of her family’s car in southwest Houston.
Ariel Cruz, 19, was arrested on murder charges by Houston police at around 5:40 p.m. on November 28. His arrest came hours after the family of Idania Maria Campos Muñoz, 21, filed a missing persons report with the authorities.
Idania’s family first became concerned when she stopped answering her phone, with her mother last speaking to her at about 8:20 a.m. as she was dropping Idania’s sisters off at school.
By tracking Idania’s phone, the family was able to find her black Honda Civic parked in the 5400 block of Indigo Street in the area of Meyerland. The car was locked, and there was no sign of foul play, so Houston police officers arrived, filled out a missing person report, and left.
“Of course, if the family thought she was in the car, of course, they would have made forced entry, but at this point, they just thought it was left there. Nobody at that point thought she was inside the trunk,” explained Lt. Alias Smith, according to ABC 13.
The family went door-to-door around the neighborhood, trying to get information about Idania’s whereabouts. Cruz, then considered a friend of the family, helped search for the Houston Community College student as well.
“He even hugged us and said, ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘Everything will be alright,'” Jennifer Campos Muñoz, one of Idania’s sisters, recalled, according to WFAA.
After searching for hours to no avail, the family turned their attention back to the vehicle. A locksmith came out but failed to open the door, as Idania’s aunt, Bobbie Muñoz, explained to WFAA. Idania’s father finally broke a window, leading to the discovery of the victim’s body in the trunk.
“It’s very devastating for the family,” said Houston police officer Lt. Larry Crowson.
The ensuing investigation led detectives to Cruz, who was still at the scene with Idania’s family, according to a press release issued by the City of Houston.
While being questioned, he allegedly confessed to shooting Idania at a nearby shopping center, placing her inside the trunk of her car, and driving it to Meyerland, which is close to his home. He purportedly suggested he had done it because she had broken up with him.
“So I guess because he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want us to have her either,” said Bobbie, per ABC 13.
Cruz was booked into the Harris County jail on a bond of $600,000.
In Dallas, the murder rate continues to climb due to a significant officer shortage within the Dallas Police Department. Fewer than 3,200 officers patrol the city despite an official analysis recommending a force of approximately 4,000 to maintain public safety.
As of November 28, a total of 222 murders and non-negligent manslaughter cases have been logged in Dallas, according to the City crime analytics dashboard. This marks a year-over-year increase of 10.4%.