Texas man, 24, is arrested for the murder of Madeline Pantoja, 20, after she disappeared on a night out with friends – as 100 angry protesters call for ‘justice’
- Mario Juan Chacon, 24, was arrested for the murder of Madeline Pantoja, 20
- The arrest came hours after police found Pantoja’s body near Midland, Texas.
- Pantoja had been missing for nine days and was last seen on May 10
A man has been arrested for the murder of a woman in West Texas more than a week after she disappeared after a night out.
The arrest of Mario Juan Chacon, 24, on Saturday afternoon came just hours after the body of Madeline Pantoja, 20, was discovered in the morning, police said.
Mario Juan Chacon, Jr. has now been held without bail since Saturday night at the Midland County Jail, according to county jail records.
Pantoja was last seen May 10 at her home around 11 p.m., but neighbors say they heard her arguing with her ex-boyfriend hours later at 1:30 a.m.
Pantoja’s phone, purse and dog were still in her apartment when she went missing on May 11.
Mario Juan Chacon, 24, is pictured after his arrest on Saturday for the murder of Madeline Pantoja, 20
Madeline Pantoja was last seen on May 10 and reported missing on May 11, sparking a frantic nine-day search
On May 20, her body was found southeast of Midland, about 3 miles east of County Road 190 and County Road 1160, police said.
“At approximately 3:30 p.m. today, detectives from the Midland Police Department arrested Mario Juan Chacon,” MPD reported Saturday.
The investigation into Pantoja’s death is ongoing and an autopsy will be performed in Dallas County, Midland Police said.
The news of Pantoja’s death shocked the community, which had been trying to help with the search since his disappearance.
A Facebook page that posted “search dates and information” had nearly 30,000 likes as of Sunday morning.
The number of citizens seeking to get involved in the investigation led police to warn that criminal charges would be brought against anyone interfering.
Nonetheless, on Friday before Pantoja was found dead, Midland Mayor Lori Blong announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.
Pantoja (pictured) allegedly had a fight with her ex-boyfriend the night she disappeared
The Midland Police Department said during the search it soured more than 60 square miles of land
“I can’t imagine the stress, worry and concern of Madeline’s family and friends as they went through this ordeal,” she said at the time.
She said there was no reason to believe there was a public threat to Midland.
Midland Police Chief Seth Herman told Friday’s conference that since the initial report, his department has been working around the clock to locate Pantoja.
He said officers searched about 60 square miles using drones and manned aircraft. He said he also had more than a dozen search warrants and interviewed 25 people.
