Madeline Pantoja’s final movements have been confirmed by a family member when the body of a 21-year-old was found after a 10-day search
A WOMAN, found dead after a week and a half, was having dinner with a friend who dropped her off at her home before she disappeared, her heartbroken family said.
Madeline Pantoja, 21, was last seen at her home in Midland, Texas, on May 10 before she disappeared, leaving behind her dog, cell phone and keys. Her body was discovered on Saturday.
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Before her body was found, her brother Christian stressed that this behavior was unusual.
“She was perfectly fine,” he said of her behavior before the disappearance.
Christian said the two recently chatted to plan a celebration for his upcoming graduation from Texas Tech University.
“It was Wednesday when she disappeared and Saturday was my graduation from tech,” he said.
“We wrote to each other how much we were looking forward to celebrating this day.
“And when we found out she was missing… [it] my heart broken
Madeline was dropped off by a friend around 10.30pm after the two had eaten together.
Neighbors said they heard screams coming from their apartment in the middle of the night, while surveillance footage captured a pickup truck pulling away around 1 a.m., Christian said.
The next day, her friend pointed out to Madeline’s other sibling that she wasn’t responding to texts or calls.
The sibling arrived at Madeline’s apartment and knocked on the door, but no one answered.
They called the police, who broke into the room and found Madeline’s phone, car keys, and dog unattended.
“She loves her dog very much,” said Christian. “It’s like a daughter to her. So it is extremely erratic for them to just leave everything behind.”
The Midland Police Department told The US Sun that the case was very active but could not provide details.
Christian said the police didn’t call his parents until about three or four days after they disappeared.
“I would understand not calling the public or giving information to them to ensure safety,” he said.
“However, they never contacted the parents for about three days after she went missing, until people got upset and realized, ‘We need to contact the parents.'”
MPD told the US Sun that they are working to update the family with their findings.
“They said they’re trying and I’m sure they’re trying. However, there are no clues or anything,” said Christian.
Family and friends gathered to pray for Madeline before her 21st birthday passed on Thursday.
“We’re just really desperate, we’re just begging God to help us get her home,” Madeline’s good friend Karen Ramos told the NBC affiliate KWES TV.
“We’re just doing everything we can to get as much help as possible from anywhere.”
Mario Juan Chacon, 24, was admitted after the 10-day search for Midland, TexasIt came to a tragic end for her wife Madeline, 21, on Saturday.
Midland Police discovered the remains early Saturday morning in a rural area outside of the city and notified her family and the local NBC affiliate KWES reports.
Chacon has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, according to a press release from the city of Midland seen by the local newspaper.
Her cause of death remains unclear and an autopsy will be performed in Dallas County, the broadcaster reports.
Madeline’s family said Chacon was Madeline’s ex-boyfriend and the two broke up shortly before she disappeared, according to an ABC affiliate KMID reports.
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