Fears for missing teen as person of interest found dead
A maintenance worker who was deemed to be a person of interest in a teenager's disappearance has been found dead.
Miya Marcano, a 19-year-old college student from Florida, was last seen on Friday, September 24 and was due to catch a flight later that day but never made it.
“Miya is still missing. Her disappearance is suspicious and our detectives suspect foul play,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said on Monday (local time).
However, also on Monday, a person of interest in Ms Marcano's case, Armando Manuel Caballero, 27, was found dead in his apartment.
The sheriff's department said it appears Mr Caballero died of an apparent suicide. His vehicle was found at the scene and it has been taken to the sheriff's office for processing.
Sheriff Mina said deputies had been "actively" searching for Mr Caballero over the weekend.
Woman had repeatedly rejected suspect's advances
Mr Caballero also had taken a romantic interest in Ms Marcano, Sheriff Mina said, though she repeatedly rebuffed his advances.
Mr Caballero worked as a maintenance worker at Arden Villas apartments, where Ms Marcano lives, works and was last seen.
Authorities say Ms Marcano was last seen at the apartments on the Friday at around 5pm, hours before she missed her flight home to Fort Lauderdale at 10pm.
In Mr Caballero's initial interview with the authorities, he said he had last seen Ms Marcano at 3pm on the Friday, however, Sheriff Mina revealed a master key was used to get into her apartment at 4.30pm.
"We now know that a maintenance issued master key fob, which Caballero was known to be in possession of, was used to enter Miya's apartment Friday afternoon, at about 4.30pm," Sheriff Mina said.
"This would have been about 30 minutes before she finished her shift at the apartment complex."
Ms Marcano's aunt, Pia, spoke at the press conference on Monday, giving a heartfelt message to her niece, saying the family will not sleep until she is home.
PLEASE SHARE: This is the #missingperson bulletin for 19-year-old Miya Marcano, last seen on 9/24 at the Arden Villas apartments (3303 Arden Villas Boulevard, Orlando).
We urge anyone with info to call the OCSO non-emergency line at 407-836-4357. If you see Miya, call 911. pic.twitter.com/ChLysuBfVD— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) September 25, 2021
"I know you're out there," Pia said.
"We love you, you know our family is strong, you know our family is big. You know we will never sleep one night, until we get you home."
Police are urging anyone with information about Ms Marcano to come forward to police.
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