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On Sunday, September 10, 22-year-old Texas woman Monica Alcantar was found dead in a Chinatown parking garage. Alcantar was last seen alive on August 26, when she left her apartment on Leawood Boulevard. On August 30, concerned family members called the police, stating that the 22-year-old had not answered her calls for four days.
Trigger warning: This article concerns a potential homicide investigation, the reader's discretion is advised
Since Monica Alcantar's body was badly decomposed upon being discovered, it took the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences two days to confirm her identity. However, the cause of her death has yet to be determined. Officials have not yet disclosed whether they suspect foul play.
The timeline of Monica Alcantar's disappearance
On August 26, Monica Alcantar left her Houston apartment in her 2021 light gray Kia Rio. Over the next four days, she failed to maintain contact with her family or attend any of their gatherings.
On August 30, concerned relatives filed a report with local authorities. In the initial stages of the search, they also discussed their intention to raise money to hire a private investigator for the case.
The GoFundMe page read:
"Please understand that this is not normal of Monica, she is MISSING and that we genuinely need the help and support to find her."
On Sunday, September 10, Monica Alcantar's decomposed body was discovered in the parking garage of Bellaire's Dun Huang Plaza in Houston's Chinatown. Officials determined that the body had been left there for the day. They claimed that it was still unclear whether foul play was involved, despite the signs of trauma.
According to ABC, upon the discovery of Alcantar's body, her family members spoke to reporters about the tragedy.
Alcantar's aunt, Briony Amador, said:
"It's going to take time to process, but we're going to remember her in life, and not in death."
In a separate part of the discussion, an individual may know what happened, however, because the investigation is currently ongoing, Amador did not say the suspect's name.
"He would have been, in theory, the last person to see her. That person should come forward and should say if they're involved in any way. There's an investigation. There's no reason to hide. They're going to find you," Amador said.
According to Houston authorities, they have identified a person of interest in the death of Monica Alcantar. Upon releasing surveillance footage of the suspect, they said he was a white or Hispanic individual who drove a Dodge Challenger.
While they did not release a name, they said it is believed that the suspect was the last person to leave the parking garage where Alcantar's body was discovered.
