Court docs detail Dacara Thompson’s tragic final night

Police affidavits and charging documents detail a chilling timeline of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson’s final hours, revealing how the Prince George’s County woman vanished after texting her father she would be home soon and ultimately turned up dead more than a week later.

Court filings show her white Ford Edge was found abandoned on August 24 in Hyattsville, Maryland. Inside were her purse and belongings, but her phone and key fob were missing. Surveillance footage showed Thompson walking away from the SUV and approaching a black GMC Yukon Denali in a nearby parking lot. She spoke briefly with the driver before climbing into the passenger seat.

Prosecutors say that the driver was 35-year-old Hugo Hernandez-Mendez. Investigators later tracked Thompson’s phone to a Bowie, Maryland, residence linked to Hernandez-Mendez between 3:47 and 5:03 a.m. on August 23 before it went offline.

Evidence discovered in Hernandez-Mendez’s home

A search warrant uncovered damning evidence inside the home: blood traces, identification cards with Hernandez-Mendez’s name, a fake fingernail matching Thompson’s set, and hair consistent with the wig she was last seen wearing.

According to investigators, Thompson left her home in Lanham, Maryland, late on August 22 after telling her father she was going to get gas. Her last message to him read, “I got gas and I’m out. I should be back soon. I love you too. Goodnight.” By the next morning, her family reported her missing.

The GMC Denali itself tested positive for suspected blood on the front passenger seat, according to the probable-cause affidavit. A roommate also told detectives he overheard Hernandez-Mendez with a woman in his bedroom that morning, noting the woman “did not seem to be having a good time.”

Thompson’s preliminary autopsy report noted skull and facial fractures. Authorities have not yet determined a motive for the crime.

Hernandez-Mendez’s denial

When questioned by police, Hernandez-Mendez denied involvement. He claimed he was supposed to meet an ex-girlfriend at the Galaxy Nightclub, located across the street from where Thompson’s SUV was parked, but said the meeting never took place.

While speaking with Hernandez-Mendez, detectives noted that surveillance captured Thompson entering his vehicle in the same area. Hernandez-Mendez invoked his right to an attorney after his initial denials.

Court records show Hernandez-Mendez was living in the U.S. without legal immigration status and had been arrested months earlier on a DUI charge by U.S. Park Police. Immigration officials had issued a detainer for him at that time.