Armando Manuel Caballero.
A Florida man linked to a co-worker’s death was once accused of throwing a weight through a woman’s bedroom window. If true, then this connects Armando Manuel Caballero, 27, to a second disturbing incident involving someone to whom he made romantic advances. No charges were filed in this, however, because investigators could not link him to the crime, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office report obtained by WKMG.
He was recently suspected in the disappearance of co-worker Miya Marcano, 19. Caballero made romantic advances toward the teenager, who also worked with him at the Arden Villas apartments, Orange County Sheriff John Mina has said. She rejected him repeatedly. Marcano was also a tenant at the complex. The allegation is that Caballero used a master key fob to enter her apartment at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, a half-hour before she was last seen alive. Amid her disappearance, Mina said officials got an arrest warrant for burglary but that became a moot point because Caballero turned up dead at a Seminole County apartment complex. It was an apparent suicide by hanging.
The search for Marcano arrived at a tragic end this weekend. Mina announced Saturday that they found a body believed to be her, though formal identification is pending, and the cause of death remains under investigation.
“Cell phone records showed us that Caballero was in or near the Tymber Skan apartments on Friday evening between eight and nine’o’clock — that’s the evening that she was reported missing,” Mina said. “And he was there for about 20 minutes. Nothing in the records indicate that he ever returned there prior to killing himself.”
It is not the first time Caballero was suspected in a disturbing incident involving a woman he pursued romantically. In the aforementioned weight incident from March 17, a woman at the Sabal Club apartments–where Caballero was recently found dead–told investigators that he, a maintenance worker there, wrote her a note asking for a date. She agreed, but he asked to hang out sooner, and she said she could not.
A black weight was soon thrown through her bedroom window, the woman said. She did not see who did it, but she thought it was Caballero. Authorities believed her, but though his fingerprints were on the letter, they could not prove he threw the weight.
Caballero worked for Arden Villas apartments since June, Mina has said.
Miya Marcano.
Marcano’s family called for justice after authorities found her body.
“Learning the news of 19-year-old Miya’s disappearance has been incredibly disheartening. It is every parent’s worst nightmare,” said a statement from their attorney Daryl K. Washington, according to WOFL. “We’re beyond disappointed with the news that she has been found dead and we along with her family, friends and loved ones mourn for such a beautiful young lady with a promising future. We do want to thank the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the FBI and everyone who has contributed to finding Miya. We want to stress that we believe that her disappearance and consequential death was 100% preventable and we intend to hold those responsible accountable to the full extent of the law. Policies must be in place to always protect women…”
Meanwhile, residents at Arden Villas are calling for policy changes and better security, according to WFTV. Flyers called on them to withhold rent in order to make change.
Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report.
[Image via Orange County Sheriff’s Office]