Authorities said the man is in the U.S. illegally.
He was denied bail last week and according to court documents investigators believe Hernandez-Mendez threw Thompson’s body off the South River Bridge on Route 50, a drop of more than 30 feet, and that her body had numerous fractures.
The motive for the killing is still under investigation.
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The suspect accused of murdering 19-year-old Da’Cara Thompson last month was ordered held without bond after his first court appearance on Monday in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The man accused of killing 19-year-old Da’Cara Thompson last month was ordered held without bond after his first court appearance on Monday in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, 35, was charged in Thompson’s murder on Friday after prosecutors accused him of driving Thompson to his home in Bowie, killing her in the bedroom and then leaving her body in a grassy area near Route 50 in Anne Arundel County.
Investigators are still trying to put together the last hours of Thompson’s life. According to court documents, surveillance video shows her park her SUV and walk into a parking lot near a Family Dollar store in Langley Park. She spoke to the driver of another vehicle and then got into the vehicle’s front passenger seat around 3 a.m.
Court records allege that Hernandez-Mendez threw Thompson’s body off the South River Bridge on Route 50, a drop of more than 30 feet, and that her body had numerous fractures. The motive for the murder is still under investigation and Acting Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson said an autopsy is pending.
Investigators arrested Hernandez-Mendez in the 12000 Block of Kembridge Drive, where he was a renter, and authorities believe Thompson was killed there and her body was moved.
‘She was a soft-spoken, kind young lady’
The bond hearing was routine. But the courtroom was packed with family and friends of the victim.
After the hearing, Da’Cara Thompson’s mother, Carmen, spoke about her daughter.
“She had just completed a yearlong internship in which she was very successful. She did a great job. She was a soft-spoken, kind young lady,” Carmen said, wearing a wearing a shirt printed with her daughter’s photo and #JusticeForDaCara. “I just want justice served for my daughter.”
Thompson had graduated from St. Charles High School in Waldorf and worked for a nonprofit as part of a service program for recent graduates.
In an official statement from the Department of Homeland Security, it said Hernandez-Mendez was in the United States illegally from Guatemala. The agency also said he had been arrested and charged previously with driving under the influence in May of 2022.
At a news conference Friday, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said Hernandez-Mendez had also been arrested this past April by U.S. Park Police on another DUI charge while driving on the Baltimore Parkway. She noted that despite the federal agency’s understanding that he was living in the country illegally, they released him.
“It’s very disappointing, finding that out now. We may not be here today if they did what they were supposed to do,” she said Monday.
According to court records, Hernandez-Mendez worked for a Baltimore landscaping company.
Getting justice
For more than a week, Thompson’s relatives searched for her after she disappeared after saying she was going out to get gasoline for her car on the night of Aug. 22.
It wasn’t until nine days later that they got the terrible news.
State’s Attorney Jackson said regardless of the suspect’s immigration status, she will press ahead with his first- and second-degree murder charges.
“My concern is to hold accountable people who commit crimes against the residents of Prince George’s County,” she said. “This office’s primary concern is not the legal status of the defendant, or frankly any defendant.”
Thompson’s mother said she has confidence in the work of the investigators and the State’s Attorney’s Office to find out what happened, and she urged caution to those who are judging her daughter.
“There’s been a lot of people disparaging her character on social media and things and such. Please don’t believe everything you see. Please don’t believe everything you hear. Out of respect for the family and us grieving, please approach everything with grace. We would appreciate that,” Carmen said.
Hernandez-Mendez is due back in court on Oct. 8 for a preliminary hearing.
WTOP’s John Domen and Jose Umana contributed to this report.
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A man is accused of driving Dacara Thompson to his home in Bowie, Maryland, killing her in the bedroom and leaving her body in a grassy area where she was later found by police.
Prince George’s County Police Chief George Nader participates in a Sept. 5 news conference announcing murder charges in connection to the death of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson.
(WTOP/Jose Umana)
WTOP/Jose Umana
A missing person flyer for Dacara Thompson, 19, of Prince George’s County, Maryland.
(Courtesy 7News)
Courtesy 7News
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy participates in Sept. 5 news conference regarding the death of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson.
(WTOP/Jose Umana)
WTOP/Jose Umana
A man has been charged in the killing of a 19-year-old woman from Prince George’s County, Maryland, whose body was found last weekend after she was reported missing in late August.
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, 35, was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree murder in Dacara Thompson’s death, investigators said Friday morning.
Hernandez-Mendez is accused of driving Thompson to his home in Bowie, killing her in the bedroom and leaving her body in a grassy area where she was later found by investigators.
A timeline of events by police
Surveillance footage showed Thompson willingly getting into a black SUV at around 3 a.m. on Aug. 23, police said. The driver, believed to be Hernandez-Mendez, took the young woman to his home in the 12000 block of Kembridge Drive in Bowie.
“We believe everything transpired in the bedroom,” said George Nader, the interim chief of Prince George’s County police. “What is surrounding the two coming together, that’s what we’re still investigating.”
Police believe Hernandez-Mendez brought her body to a spot near Route 50 in Anne Arundel County. That’s where Maryland State Police later found a body, now identified as Thompson, on Sunday, Aug. 31 — about one week after Thompson’s family reported her as missing.
The body was discovered as police followed up on a call about a disabled vehicle, which they believe is unrelated to the killing.
“That area is probably about seven miles away from the murder location, but a good distance away from where she went missing,” Nader said. “So we are thankful that the Maryland State Police had the ability to locate that body based on that call for service.”
State police contacted Prince George’s County police after finding the woman’s body.
County police identified Hernandez-Mendez as a suspect. Detectives got a search warrant for Hernandez-Mendez’s home, where they said they found evidence she was killed in the bedroom.
Hernandez-Mendez is being held without bond. He’s expected to appear at a bond hearing Monday to determine whether he should remain held, according to online court records.
Investigators are looking into whether Thompson and Hernandez-Mendez knew each other before Aug. 23.
During a Friday news conference, it was revealed Hernandez-Mendez was an immigrant without proper legal status in the U.S.
He was arrested by U.S. Park Police last April on a charge of driving under the influence, Braveboy said. He was released while awaiting his trial.
At that time, he was not detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But Nader said an ICE detainer was issued for Hernandez-Mendez on Thursday.
Thompson’s cause of death hasn’t been determined but is expected to be ruled a homicide, police said. Officials did not share details about the manner of her death.
There are no other suspects in her killing at this time, police said.
Police are asking anyone with more information to call Prince George’s County police at 301-516-2512.
A 19-year-old who served her community
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy thanked the community and law enforcement for their efforts to find Thompson.
Thompson had graduated from St. Charles High School in Charles County.
She lived with her father in Lanham.
Thompson was participating in a “Service Year Option,” a program launched by Gov. Wes Moore in 2023. Young adults get placed in a service position that’s an area of interest, with the hope being it helps recent graduates prepare for their future career.
In a statement, Moore called Thompson a “bright light in our state.”
“She yearned to be part of our mission to solve big problems with bold solutions through her passion for the arts,” the governor wrote.
“This is a young woman who dedicated part of her young life to serving others,” Braveboy said. “I want that to ring home to all of you that this is a good, good, good young woman who wanted to do good for her community, and now her community will stand behind her family as we seek justice for her.”
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