Sheriff: Remains found at Orlando apartment complex believed to be Miya Marcano
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - The Orange County Sheriff's Office provided a heartbreaking update in the case of missing Orlando teen Miya Marcano.
They say a body found at the Tymber Skan on the Lake Condominiums is believed to be Marcano. The remains were found by search units around 10:45 a.m. on Saturday in a wooded area near the complex.
"Our hearts are broken," Orange County Sheriff John Mina said. "We have found what we believe to be the remains of Miya."
Sheriff Mina said cellphone records showed that the person of interest in her case, Armando Caballero, was in or near the apartments on Friday evening, the night Miya went missing. They say nothing indicated that he returned there before he killed himself.
Sheriff Mina said Caballero had lived at those apartments at one time.
Miya Marcano, 19, was reported missing after she did not board a scheduled flight from Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021.
Miya Marcano, 19, was reported missing after she did not board a scheduled flight from Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021.
A purse with Miya's ID was also found near the body, Sheriff Mina said.
A positive identification must still be made by the Medical Examiner's Office. A cause of death has not been identified.
Marcano's parents have been notified.
"We are not looking for any other people. We believe pretty conclusively that Armando Caballero is responsible for this crime."
Authorities had searched the New Smyrna Beach area on Friday because they say Caballero was there last Saturday for about an hour.
The FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement had joined a search spanning three counties for Marcano, 19, who disappeared more than a week ago.
Marcano vanished on the same day a maintenance man improperly used a master key to enter her apartment, authorities said.
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Sheriff Mina said Caballero, a maintenance worker at the apartment complex where Marcano lived and worked, is considered the only person of interest in her case. Caballero, 27, apparently killed himself; his body was found three days after Marcano was last seen.
"At this time we don’t believe there was another person involved," Mina said Thursday.
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The sheriff has said that Marcano had repeatedly "rebuffed" romantic advances by Caballero. Detectives spoke to Caballero after Marcano was reported missing, but had no evidence to detain him at that time. They obtained a warrant for his arrest after learning that he had entered her apartment before she disappeared.
Marcano, a Valencia College student, was last seen just before 5 p.m. on Friday, September 24; her family reported her missing after she missed a flight home to South Florida that evening.
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Valencia College posted this message on social media following the update from Sheriff Mina:
"We offer our deepest condolences to the family of Miya Marcano, a Valencia student, whose death was confirmed today by local law enforcement officials. The entire Valencia community is grieving the loss of one of our own. If you’re a Valencia student and knew Miya or have been impacted by her death, we encourage you to reach out for help. Free counseling is available through Baycare Student Assistance Services at 800-878-5470."
"As a community, as a sheriff, as a father, we are grieving the loss of Miya. We can't imagine the pain and anguish that Miya's parents, family, loved ones, friends, and really the entire community have gone through," said Sheriff Mina. "We offer our deepest condolences."
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