The disappearance and tragic death of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson have shaken communities across Maryland, exposing a harrowing chain of events that began in late August and ended with the arrest of a Bowie man now facing first- and second-degree murder charges. The case has not only devastated Thompson’s family and friends but also ignited discussions about public safety, immigration enforcement, and the complexities of the criminal justice system.
According to NBC Washington, Thompson was last seen on the night of August 22, 2025, leaving her father’s home in Lanham to put gas in her car. Her father reported her missing the following day after she failed to return home and his calls went unanswered. Thompson’s last message to her father was a simple text, letting him know she was stepping out for gas while driving her white 2013 Ford Edge.
By August 24, the family, desperate for answers, used phone-tracking technology to locate Thompson’s vehicle. The car was found parked near Jasmine Terrace in Hyattsville, close to a volunteer fire station. Inside the vehicle, police found her purse, but her phone was missing and had been disabled. The absence of her phone and the state of the car only deepened the family’s worry and the police’s suspicions.
The mystery took a grimmer turn on August 31, when Maryland State Police, responding to a report of a disabled vehicle along eastbound Route 50 near Annapolis, discovered a nude, decomposing female body down a 31-foot embankment near the South River. The remains were later identified as Thompson’s, with authorities confirming her identity through visible tattoos and jewelry. An autopsy conducted on September 1 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed skull and facial fractures, leading investigators to expect the death would be officially ruled a homicide.
Detectives from Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County launched a joint investigation, piecing together Thompson’s last known movements using surveillance footage and cell phone data. According to ABC News, cameras captured Thompson parking her Ford Edge SUV in Hyattsville and walking toward a lot behind a Family Dollar store in Langley Park. There, she approached a black GMC Yukon Denali, spoke briefly with the driver, and entered the front passenger seat. The SUV was later traced to a home on Kembridge Drive in Bowie, where further evidence would point to the crime scene.
Cellular data from Thompson’s phone aligned with this timeline, showing her device remained in the area until it deactivated around 5:03 a.m. on August 23. Surveillance showed the Yukon returning to the Bowie residence in the early hours of that morning. Detectives visited the address on September 3 and observed the SUV parked outside. After obtaining a search warrant, police executed their search the following day.
During surveillance before the search, investigators saw a man leave the home and get into the Yukon. He was stopped and identified as Hugo Rene Hernandez-Mendez, age 35, a Guatemalan national living in the United States illegally. Hernandez-Mendez was detained and transported to the Criminal Investigation Division-Homicide Unit for questioning. He waived his Miranda rights and admitted to being in possession of the vehicle on August 23, stating he had been at the Galaxy Night Club—located across the street from where Thompson was last seen. However, he denied any involvement in her disappearance and later requested a lawyer, ending the interview.
Inside the Kembridge Drive residence, detectives found multiple occupants, all transported for questioning. One roommate told police he overheard Hernandez-Mendez in his room with a woman around 5:00 a.m. on August 23, describing the noises as sexual activity but noting, as reported by NBC Washington, that the woman “did not seem to be having a good time.” The witness later remarked that the SUV was gone that afternoon, which was unusual for Hernandez-Mendez, especially on a Saturday.
The search of Hernandez-Mendez’s bedroom revealed suspected blood stains, which tested positive during forensic analysis. Police also found a white and pink fake fingernail on the floor, matching one missing from Thompson’s left middle finger when she was found. Multiple pairs of women’s underwear and lingerie were discovered in the room. In the trash bins outside, police recovered hair matching Thompson’s wig, stained napkins with apparent blood, and documents belonging to residents of the home. A search of the Yukon Denali revealed suspected blood evidence on the front passenger seat, further implicating Hernandez-Mendez.
Based on the totality of evidence—surveillance footage, cell phone data, witness statements, and forensic findings—investigators concluded that Thompson was killed inside Hernandez-Mendez’s bedroom on August 23. They believe he then transported her body to Anne Arundel County and disposed of it by throwing it off a bridge along Route 50 in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Hernandez-Mendez, who has a prior criminal history, is being held without bond. According to NBC Washington, he had previously been arrested by U.S. Park Police in April for suspected DUI on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and was released pending trial. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Hernandez-Mendez’s status as a Guatemalan national living in the United States illegally and issued a detainer on September 4. ICE’s statement read: “Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, an illegal alien from Guatemala, has been charged with first and second-degree murder in the gruesome death of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson. ICE has issued a detainer for this criminal illegal alien and justice will be served for this Maryland family.”
The case has prompted strong reactions from local leaders and the community. Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy told NBC Washington that Thompson was “a good, good, good young woman who wanted to do good for her community,” emphasizing the county’s commitment to supporting her family as they seek justice. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also released a statement, describing Thompson as “a bright light in our state” who was “taken from us by an act of senseless violence.”
Thompson, a graduate of St. Charles High School in Waldorf, was working at a nonprofit through the Maryland Service Year Option at the time of her death. Her loss has left family, friends, and colleagues reeling, with neighbors in Bowie expressing shock and sorrow at the allegations. As one neighbor told NBC Washington, “To hear about what happened to that poor girl, I’m really sorry for the family and I really keep them in my prayers.”
Police continue to investigate whether Hernandez-Mendez and Thompson knew each other prior to August 23. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not yet released the official cause of death but is expected to rule the case a homicide. Authorities urge anyone with information related to the case to contact the Prince George’s County Homicide Unit at 301-516-2512 or Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
As the investigation continues and the legal process unfolds, the community’s focus remains on seeking justice for Dacara Thompson and supporting those she left behind.
