Home Scandal and Gossip Miya Marcano remains missing as person of interest kills self

Miya Marcano remains missing as person of interest kills self

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Miya Marcano missing Orlando Florida
ictured, Miya Marcano missing Orlando, Florida woman. Armando Manuel Caballero person of interest kills self. Images via social media.
Miya Marcano missing Orlando Florida
Pictured, Miya Marcano missing Orlando, Florida woman. Armando Manuel Caballero person of interest kills self. Image via social media.

Miya Marcano missing: Orlando Florida woman remains missing as person of interest,  kills self at his apartment. Armando Manuel Caballero had prior history of unsettling encounters with women. 

A Florida family continue to hold out for hope as their 19 year old college daughter remains missing after a 27 year old man with a history of unsettling encounters with women and deemed a ‘person of interest’ in her disappearance was found dead in his apartment of an apparent suicide over the weekend. 

Armando Manuel Caballero, 27, allegedly broke into Miya Marcano‘s Orlando area apartment just before she vanished Friday late afternoon. A search of the home led to police finding signs of of a violent struggle, including bloodstains on a pillow and a broken necklace on her floor WPLG10 reported

Caballero a local maintenance worker had a ‘romantic interest’ in Marcano, which she ‘repeatedly rebuffed,’ Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a press conference on Monday.

‘He had been dead for quite some time to my understanding,’ Mina said. Caballero’s car, a silver Ford Fusion, was found outside his apartment in Seminole County and has been taken by police as part of their investigation.

Come Tuesday, Marcano remained missing as her family pleaded help from the public in finding her. ‘Her disappearance is suspicious and our detectives and the family members suspect foul play,’ Mina said. 

‘I heard you are looking for me’

Marcano, who attends Valencia College, lives and works at the Arden Villas apartment complex in Orlando, Florida and was last seen finishing her shift there at around 5pm on Friday, police said. Her family said she was scheduled to catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale that night, only to never make it to the airport. 

Detectives first interviewed Cabellero for tips as he worked in the same apartment complex as Marcano. He told police that he last saw Marcano at 3pm on Friday. However, Mina said that he had a ‘maintenance-issued master key fob,’ which was used to enter Marcano’s apartment at 4.30pm – a half hour before her shift ended and she disappeared.

On making that discovery, police issued a warrant for Caballero’s arrest on suspected burglary as he was believed to have gone into her apartment without permission or reason. Mina added that police found a ‘few items’ that were ‘considered to be suspicious,’ while declining to elaborate on what they were.

Police were going to Caballero’s apartment to arrest him on Monday morning when they found his body inside the Camden Club Apartments in unincorporated Longwood, a suburb of Orlando. 

According to a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office report, Caballero hung himself.

Of disconcert, Miya’s aunt, Semone Westmaas told of running into Caballero, Saturday night.

‘He said, ‘Are you looking for Miya?’ I said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I’m her maintenance guy. I heard you are looking for me,’’ Westmaas told via WPLG.

Unsettling encounters with up to five other women

‘He killed himself. So he was our lead to Miya and he killed himself. Miya is still missing,’ the aunt added.

Marcano’s aunt said relatives knocked on several neighbors’ doors Saturday and up to five women said they too had unsettling encounters with Caballero, some of whom said they filed complaints about him.

Marcano’s family said it is unlike her to go a long period of time without texting or calling any of them. Nevertheless, they still have hopes that she is still alive. 

Marcano’s aunt Pia spoke directly to her niece at a press conference Monday and said, ‘Miya this message is for you. I know you’re alive. I know you’re out there. 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. We miss you.’   

‘Our detectives and deputies have been working around the clock on this case and pouring a lot of resources into finding Miya,’ Mina said during Monday’s press conference. ‘We have at least 30 detectives who are working just this case to try and track down every single lead.’

The Arden Villas apartments posted a message about Marcano’s disappearance on its Facebook page Monday morning, writing that she had last been seen in jeans, a black hoodie and a red T-shirt with a logo for Preiss Co., a company that manages student housing, including at the Arden Villas.

Miya Marcano missing Orlando Florida
Pictured, Miya Marcano missing Orlando Florida woman.

Pleading for safe return

‘We also ask that you continue to keep Miya’s friends and [family] in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to navigate this difficult situation,” the Facebook post read.’  

When deputies searched Miya’s apartment, they found that someone had blocked the door to her bedroom, reported Fox 35. 

The window in the bedroom was unlocked, and the room was disarray. A bloodstain was discovered on the missing woman’s pillow, raising concerns for Marcano’s safety. 

Miya’s father, local DJ Marlon Marcano, posted on social media: ‘there were signs of struggle in her apartment — and she may be in danger.’

The sheriff’s office has not said whether Marcano’s disappearance is being treated as a criminal matter. 

Neighbor Anastasia Holland described Miya to News4Jax as shy and friendly, but ‘on the quiet side.’  

On Sunday, Miya’s family and friends held a prayer vigil outside her apartment building and begged for her safe return. 

Marcano is described as 5 feet tall and weighing 130lbs, with brown hair and green eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is being asked to call at 407-836-4357. 

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