A reported illegal immigrant wanted for murder in Cleveland, Tennessee was apprehended in Texas on Tuesday, with law enforcement in that state arresting the alleged killer just 30 miles from the southern border of the United States.
The Cleveland Police Department (CPD) announced on Monday its officers were called to a residential address after a person was reported missing. Officers discovered the body of 25-year-old Dayana Garcia, and CPD revealed it “has deemed this domestic-related incident as a homicide investigation.”
CPD reported it filed charges for first-degree murder against 41-year-old Dayren Lopez Roque, who police additionally warned already “fled the state of Tennessee.”
The police department next stated that Roque was arrested on Tuesday, which CPD noted was less than 24 hours after the arrest warrant was issued.
Roque (pictured above) “was located and arrested at approximately 8:00 p.m., in a jurisdiction in south Texas, 30 miles from the Texas/Mexico border,” the police confirmed in a press release. The release additionally stated that CPD is working with Texas Rangers and other Texas law enforcement to extradite Roque back to Tennessee.
It appears Roque was arrested in Zavala County, Texas, where the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office revealed deputies spotted a Toyota Corolla with Tennessee plates that matched the description of the vehicle driven by the suspect.
The sheriff’s office reported that deputies conducted a felony stop at a Family Dollar parking lot, where it said Roque complied and was peacefully arrested.
Ali Bradley, a reporter for NewsNation, claimed on Tuesday that Roque is an illegal immigrant who entered the country in California after using the CBP One smartphone app released by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) under the Biden-Harris administration to help illegal immigrants meet with federal law enforcement prior to their release into the country.
Bradley additionally reported that Roque entered the United States in August of 2023, indicating he was only present in the United States for just over one year prior to allegedly murdering Garcia.
Amid mounting concerns over the CBP One smartphone app, an internal watchdog group claimed CBP neglected to “assess and mitigate the technological risks involved with expanding the application to allow undocumented noncitizens to schedule appointments to present themselves for processing at Southwest Border Ports of Entry.”
The crime is at least the second high-profile offense allegedly involving an illegal immigrant reported this month, after another illegal immigrant was charged with second-degree murder in Knoxville after police say he repeatedly struck a person in the head with a pickaxe.
– – –
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
