Court documents detail the last known moments of missing, murdered 19-year-old

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — Court documents shared with DC News Now on Friday detail the alleged events leading up to, during and following the murder of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson.

Thompson went missing in late August and was found dead on Aug. 31 in a grassy area off of Route 50. Days later, the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) announced it had arrested and charged a suspect in connection with her murder.

The missing person report

On Aug. 23, police responded to an apartment in Lanham after receiving a missing person report. There, Daniel Thompson said his daughter, Dacara, was missing and had last been seen the day before.

He said he tried calling Dacara Thompson, but she did not answer. A short time later, however, he received a text from her, saying she was going to get gas. At the time, she was driving a 2013 Ford Edge.

On Aug. 24, members of Thompson’s family were able to see the most recent location of her phone, which said it was in Hyattsville. Her family went to the area and found her Ford parked on the side of the road.

They contacted the police for additional help.

Discovering Dacara Thompson’s body

One week later, at around 4:50 p.m. on Aug. 31, the Maryland State Police (MSP) responded to reports of a disabled vehicle on the bridge over the South River in Annapolis. Troopers found a body on the river embankment about 30 feet below the bridge.

The woman, they observed, was fully naked and had visible tattoos and jewelry.

MSP sent photos of the woman’s body to detectives investigating Dacara Thompson’s disappearance. Detectives confirmed that the tattoos matched and family members later confirmed she was, indeed, the missing teenager.

Dacara Thompson’s last known movements

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage, which showed Thompson’s last known movements.

Shortly after 3 a.m. on Aug. 23, she got out of her Ford and walked toward the 2000 block of University Boulevard in Hyattsville. At the time, she was wearing a light-colored jacket, black pants and light-colored shoes.

She walked into the parking lot of a nearby Family Dollar and spoke with the driver of a black GMC Yukon Denali. After speaking for a short time, Thompson got into the passenger front seat.

About 45 minutes later, the two had driven to a home in the area of Kembridge Drive, according to court documents.

Detectives identify a suspect

Detectives observed the same GMC in front of the same home on Kembridge Drive on the evening of Sept. 3, according to court documents. As they were about to execute a search warrant, detectives saw a man leave the home and get into the GMC. They conducted a traffic stop in the early morning hours of Sept. 4 as the man started to drive down Kembridge Drive.

He was identified as 35-year-old Hugo Rene Hernandez-Mendez.

Hernandez-Mendez reportedly detailed the events of Aug. 23, saying he’d been at the Galaxy Night Club in Hyattsville — which is across the street from the Family Dollar where Thompson got into the GMC.

He told detectives he was supposed to meet up with his ex-girlfriend but never did, court documents stated.

After further questioning, he denied any involvement in Thompson’s murder and asked for a lawyer, ending the interview.

Just after 9 a.m. on Sept. 4, detectives executed a search warrant at Hernandez-Mendez’s home, detaining multiple other occupants for further investigation.

One person told police they live with their family at the home and are cousins with Hernandez-Mendez and two other roommates. They reported that Hernandez-Mendez has a drinking and drug problem, according to court documents.

A second person said they recalled hearing Hernandez-Mendez having sex with someone at around 5 a.m. on Aug. 23. After waking up a few hours later, they remembered walking outside and seeing that the GMC was not parked outside the house.

They told detectives they thought that this was strange, since Hernandez-Mendez reportedly does not work on Saturdays and the GMC is usually parked out front.

A third and fourth witness reportedly did not know anything about the overnight hours of Aug. 23 and told detectives that they live on the opposite side of the house from Hernandez-Mendez.

Evidence collected

According to court documents, multiple items of evidence were recovered from the Kembridge Drive home.

Detectives reportedly saw two trash bins in the driveway with bags of trash inside. Multiple identifying documents of those who lived in the home were found inside the trash bags.

In summary, detectives said they know Thompson was in the area near the Kembridge Drive home from about 3:45 a.m. on Aug. 23 until her phone deactivated just after 5 a.m.

Court documents stated that “sexual intercourse [was] heard coming from [Hernandez-Mendez’s] bedroom which sounded as if someone was not enjoying it.”

Based on their evidence, detectives said they believe Hernandez-Mendez murdered Thompson in his bedroom on Aug. 23 before driving her body to the area of Maryland Route 50. He then allegedly threw her body over the bridge across the South River in Annapolis.