The Sad Story of Madeline Molina Pantoja

On Saturday, May 20, the body of 21-year-old Madeline Molina Pantoja, who had been missing for over a week in western Texas was discovered, and her boyfriend has been taken into custody on suspicion of being involved in her murder.

According to reports, Madeline Molina Pantoja was last seen on May 10 at her apartment in Midland, Texas. She was dropped off at home by a friend after having dinner.

Background

The Midland Police Department was notified about Pantoja's disappearance at 11:02 p.m. on May 11th by her friends and family who had not heard from her since a little after 8:00 p.m. the day before. One of Pantoja's friends, Jasmine Hernandez, had plans to go swimming with her at the apartment complex on the 11th. After calls and texts to Pantoja went unanswered, Hernandez went to check on her.

Jasmine Hernandez informed investigators that she had seen a light on inside Pantoja's apartment through a crack in the door when she arrived there. Despite knocking on the door, she received no response, and eventually left.

However, Hernandez returned to the apartment after picking up some food, feeling that something was wrong. She noticed that the light that had been on earlier was now off, prompting her to call Pantoja's brother for assistance. Hernandez and Pantoja's brother then asked a maintenance worker to unlock the door to the apartment, where they discovered Pantoja's phone, purse, keys, and her dog, who had been left without food or water.

It was unusual for Pantoja to leave her dog unattended for more than two hours, which raised additional concerns. The pair also noticed that a black coffee table was missing, which they found to be suspicious.

Madeline's Ex-Boyfriend- Mario Juan

Pantoja's close friends and family told the investigators that Pantoja and Mario Juan Chacon had been in a romantic relationship, which had recently ended. They revealed that the couple had an argument on May 10th. Pantoja's brother received a call from Chacon at 8:35 p.m. the day she went missing, asking him to call Pantoja on a three-way call because she was not answering his calls.

Madeline Molina Pantoja's last known sighting was at 1711 West Francis in Midland, Texas, around 11:00 p.m. on May 10.

“I wish I could show her how much she’s loved and how much we want her back,” lamented Pantoja’s friend, Karen Ramos.

"We were finally able to enter Madeline Molina Pantoja's apartment and found her keys inside, but the door was locked and her boyfriend was the only one who had a key," explained Ramos.

Her loved ones reached out to the community for assistance in finding Pantoja and bringing her home safely.

Pantoja's family is tried to raise funds to hire a private investigator. Pantoja's sister created a GoFundMe page, where she has requested assistance, stating that "The money will be utilized to employ a private investigator, and any remaining funds will be added to the cash reward for the individual (who will remain anonymous if they so choose) who provides useful information that will assist us in locating Madeline."

According to a statement made by the Midland Police Department, they conducted interviews with 25 individuals and obtained more than a dozen search warrants in their investigation into Pantoja's disappearance. Additionally, the mayor of Midland, Lori Blong, announced a reward of $20,000 for anyone who provides information that leads to the resolution of the case.

However, the hope of finding Madeline alive died after her lifeless body was discovered.

Madeline's Body is Discovered

Police announced on Saturday that Pantoja's remains were discovered in a rural area located southeast of the city limits, nine days following her disappearance.

On May 20, the Midland Police Department received Chacon's phone records from AT&T. Following this, the Texas Rangers were involved in the investigation to trace the area where Chacon's cell phone signal had pinged when Pantoja disappeared.

The phone records indicated that Chacon's phone was located within a one-mile radius of E County Road 190 and South County Road 1138. Investigators searched this area and discovered Pantoja's remains, which they identified by her jewelry. A source close to the investigation revealed that Pantoja's body was found inside the missing coffee table from her apartment.

Pantoja's remains were transported to Dallas for an autopsy while Chacon was taken into custody on May 20 and charged with murder.

As of Tuesday afternoon, he remained in the Midland County Detention Center on a $3,000,000 bond.

References :

Midland PD still searching for missing woman

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A missing Texas woman has been found dead and a man is in custody on suspicion of murder, police say