A 35-year-old man was arrested and charged Thursday in the killing of a 19-year-old Maryland woman whose body was found earlier this week, and local reports say the suspect is in the United States illegally and has been the subject of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez of Bowie was booked on first- and second-degree murder charges in the death of Dacara Thompson, the Prince George's County Police Department said. Thompson’s body was discovered off a highway earlier in the week, authorities said.
WJLA-TV reported that Hernandez-Mendez is in the country illegally and that ICE issued a detainer for him on Thursday. The Prince George's County Police Department told Fox News Digital it was not releasing Hernandez-Mendez’s immigration status. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Police did not release details about how Thompson was killed or a timeline for her disappearance beyond saying her body had been discovered off a highway earlier in the week. The county police statement announcing the arrest identified Hernandez-Mendez as the suspect in the homicide investigation and said he was taken into custody Thursday.
According to WJLA and Fox News reporting, U.S. Park Police arrested Hernandez-Mendez in April on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. He was released after that arrest pending a court appearance. Fox News Digital reached out to the Park Police for comment and did not immediately receive a response.
Officials have not publicly provided information about any potential links between the earlier DWI arrest and the homicide investigation. Prosecutors will determine whether to pursue the murder charges and any additional counts as the case proceeds.
The issuance of an ICE detainer, reported by local outlets, signals federal immigration authorities have placed a request that the local jurisdiction hold a person for potential transfer to ICE custody. Local officials in Prince George's County declined to confirm the suspect’s immigration status, saying the department was not releasing that information.
Thompson’s death is the latest homicide investigated by Prince George’s County authorities this year; the department has been handling multiple violent crime cases while coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions and state investigators as required. No court filings or a public defender appearance for Hernandez-Mendez were immediately available Thursday evening.
The investigation remains active. Authorities asked anyone with information about Thompson’s disappearance or the circumstances surrounding her death to contact the Prince George's County Police Department. Fox News Digital and other outlets sought comment from ICE and the U.S. Park Police; neither agency provided immediate responses.
As the case moves through the criminal justice system, prosecutors will present evidence to a grand jury or file formal charges to determine whether Hernandez-Mendez will be held for trial. Immigration enforcement actions and detainers can proceed independently of local criminal proceedings, and federal authorities review those matters under their own protocols.
