A teenage girl was spotted entering a motel alone before her body was discovered in a water tank nearby, officials have revealed.
CCTV footage captured the moment Debanhi Escobar, 18, entered the Nueva Castilla Motel in Escobedo, Mexico, on the morning of 9 April.
Escobar had attended a party with two friends on 8 April, but was last seen on the morning of 9 April when a photo of her was taken by a rideshare driver. That was the last time she was seen alive.
The hunt for Escobar lasted almost two weeks, with the search extending to neighbouring states.
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Sadly, last Thursday (21 April), her body was found inside a water tank that was no longer in use. A motel worker had reported a foul smell coming from the direction of the cistern, which soon led investigators to the scene.
Prosecutor Gustavo Guerrero addressed reporters the following day, stating that Escobar’s death was caused by contusion to the skull. However, the mystery as to how she wound up inside the water tank remains.
Her devastated father, Mario Escobar, said goodbye to his daughter on Saturday, when he said she had been ‘beaten and strangled’.
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“We are destroyed inside,' he continued, speaking during her funeral service.
“We had so much faith that we would find her alive, but that's not what happened.”
Nuevo León Governor Samuel Garcia said: “The prosecutor Gustavo (Guerrero) and his team showed us a series of evidence, especially some videos, in which we see that Debanhi entered the property alone and that she spent a few minutes in the property.”
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As the hunt for Escobar’s killer continues, Garcia met with her parents to share the latest in the investigation.
Mario Escobar said: “It is difficult for me, for my wife, but somehow, we are calm that we were able to find her, bury her, we know where to put a flower, where to mourn her, but many people do not have that.
“We are not going to stop, we are going to help people, we are going to tell their story.”
Juan David Cuéllar had given Escobar a ride that morning after picking her up from the bar.
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However, a video has now surfaced in which the driver allegedly attempts to put his hands over Escobar’s breasts, according to the Daily Mail.
Mario Escobar addressed the footage, stating: “There is a (video) where the taxi driver extends his hand to my daughter's breasts and from there I suppose that my daughter could not stand the harassment.
“But the prosecutor says that there is no crime to prosecute … I accuse Juan David Cuéllar of detonating all this.”
Cuéllar was reportedly questioned over Escobar's disappearance, but police determined he was not involved.
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If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: World News, Crime
Abbi Murray