A Texas woman who was reported missing earlier this month remains unaccounted for, as authorities discovered the body of her children’s father in a lake Sunday morning.
According to KTVT, the Dallas Police Department said it was coincidental that their dive team was searching White Rock Lake when a citizen found the body of Alfonso Hernandez, 28. Hernandez and for Weltzin Garcia, 26, an estranged couple, were reported missing from their Grand Prairie home on February 5; police had issued a warrant for Hernandez on a domestic violence charge before the pair disappeared.
The news station reported that divers with metal detectors were searching shallow areas of the lake, near where Hernandez and Garcia’s cellphones were pinged. Garcia’s phone was reportedly found on Hernandez’s body and police said Herandez’s phone was recovered from his car, which was found parked at the lake on February 5.
KXAS reported that Hernandez’s body showed no signs of trauma, though medical examiners haven’t determined a cause of death. Authorities believe his body drifted to the area due to to the direction of the currents.
Law enforcement is said to have started their search of the lake at 8 a.m. Monday, only to suspend it for undisclosed reasons at around 2 p.m. Local police will reportedly fly a helicopter over the lake but will only dispatch the dive team if they find any sign of the missing mother.
Relatives told the news station that Garcia and Hernandez’s relationship was tumultuous, with Garcia’s twin sister claiming that Hernandez had threatened to take his own life during a recent argument. Hernandez had reportedly undergone anger management.
Citing police, KXAS reported that arrest warrant issued for Hernandez stemmed from a January incident involving him and Garcia.
The family is currently at odds with Child Protective Services, who has the pair’s two children as authorities conduct their investigation. According to KTVT, a judge sided with relatives last Friday but said she would rule on custody during next week’s hearing.
[Featured image: Weltzin Garcia, Alfonso Hernandez/Facenook]
