Uncle Charged In Death Of Child Found In Well; Was In US Illegally
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BULLARD (CBSDFW.COM) - Smith County Sheriffs have confirmed that Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, 24, was charged with Capital Murder for the death of Kayla Gomez-Orozco, 10.
"He's given us information from him, and we've been able gather enough evidence in our investigation to charge him with that crime," said Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith.
A relative of the slain little girl, Zavala-Garcia was the lone suspect in the case. He illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and unknown location. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers first encountered and lodged a detainer on Zavala-Garcia Oct. 10, 2014, after he was convicted in Smith County for assaulting a family member, which caused injury. He entered ICE custody Oct. 21, 2014 and was released on bond the same day.
Deputies found Kayla's body Saturday at a well that sits outside Garcia's rental house.
Kayla was last seen Tuesday night at a church in Bullard, 100 miles southeast of Dallas. An Amber Alert was issued for her after she disappeared that evening.
A Go-Fund me page was created to help the family.
A $60,000 reward was offered last week for her return and FBI agents organized a search party with the help of community members last weekend.
On Saturday morning they gathered in the parking lot at Bullard High School to look for Kayla. Volunteers wore bright-colored clothing during their search.
The Amber Alert for the missing girl was discontinued Saturday evening after her body was found.
A Facebook page called, 'Help Find Kayla' was set up for those who would like to share information about Kayla onto their personal Facebook pages.
Smith declined to release a cause of death or a possible motive, pending charges.
A visitation for Kayla is scheduled for 6 - 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Stewart Family Funeral Home, located at 7525 Jacksonville Highway.
Her funeral is then set for Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Lanes Chapel United Methodist Church, located at 8720 Jacksonville Highway. The service is open to the public.
Zavala-Garcia remains in the Smith County Jail on a $10 million bond.
