New Mexico Mother Theresa Saiz-Chavez Found Dead in Trunk of Her Car, After Frantic 911 Call

SOCORRO, N.M. (CBS/AP) At the end of a day long search, authorities apprehended the man who is accused of locking a woman in the trunk of her car and leaving her to die, reports CBS affiliate KRQE.

Socorro police arrested 56-year-old John James Hayden in connection with the death of Theresa Saiz-Chavez, who was found dead in the trunk of her car Tuesday night. Hayden is charged with kidnapping, battery, and murder.

According KRQE, a frantic woman called 911 around 7 a.m. Tuesday to report that Hayden had locked her in her trunk and that she thought she was close to his apartment.

Officers immediately began a grid search - marking off streets, alleys and parking lots in the area to find the distressed 50-year-old woman. "There was never something not being done," Socorro Police Detective Richard Lopez told KRQE.

By mid-afternoon the police had combed through dozens of streets and had questioned Hayden twice. He admitted that Saiz-Chavez left after an argument, but gave no information regarding her whereabouts.

The New Mexico State Police and the Socorro County Sheriff's Department were notified around 8 p.m., and the search continued for another four hours until police located the vehicle just outside the city under a bridge, reports KRQE.

Unfortunately, they were too late.

Family members of the victim questioned why police didn't put more eyes on the search from the beginning; however, their criticism quickly turned to concern as they expressed their hopes for future searches.

"Whether police did the investigation right or wrong, the most important thing for the family is that we hope they learn from any mistakes they made during the search," one family member told KRQE. "That way this does not happen to another family."