Katherine Alejandra Gonzalez 5 Years Old, Body found in vacant Dallas,TX Apt

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/dallas-county/2014/08/31/missing-girl-found-dead-northeast-dallas/14908079/
Dallas police: Girl's death investigated as murder
August 31, 2014

DALLAS — Five-year-old Kathrine Alejandra Gonzalez was found dead in a vacant unit at a Northeast Dallas apartment complex Sunday afternoon after she had been reported missing.

Hours later, police said they were investigating the incident at the Sontera Palms complex as a murder.

Kathrine's parents said she had been playing with a dog and an older cousin when she disappeared around noon Sunday at the apartments in the 9500 block of Royal Lane. Residents helped police search for the child until her body was discovered in a vacant unit around 2:30 p.m.
 
Police said Kathrine did not live at the Sontera Palms complex.

Anyone with information about what happened to her is urged to contact homicide detectives at 214-275-1300.


(Photo: Todd Unger / WFAA)


A five-year-old girl was found dead at the Sontera Palms apartments in Northeast Dallas on August 31, 2014.(Photo: WFAA)
 
Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Dallas-Police-Investigate-Death-of-5-Year-Old-Girl-273392061.html
Dallas Police Investigate Murder of 5-Year-Old Girl
August 31, 2014
By Jocelyn Lockwood

Dallas police are investigating the murder of a 5-year-old girl whose body was found in a vacant apartment Sunday afternoon at the Sontera Palms Apartments at 9505 Royal Lane in northeast Dallas.
Dallas police say Kathrine Alejandra Gonzalez turned 5 on August 24.  

Police discovered her body inside an empty, ground-floor apartment at 2:30 p.m. Sunday – several hours after the girl was reported missing.
Many neighbors say they worked to help find the little girl even before police were called around 11:30 a.m.  

When police arrived, maintenance workers informed them there were a large number of vacant apartments at Sontera Palms.  After obtaining a key, officers began what they described as a systematic search of all vacant units – eventually discovering the girl’s body inside a unit at the back of the complex.
Witnesses say the girl’s relatives were visibly distraught after learning of the girl’s death.

Police say they took numerous people to Dallas Police Headquarters for questioning, but as of late Sunday night police have not reported any arrests in the case.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/26416332/five-year-old-found-dead-in-dallas-vacant-apartment
5-year-old found dead in Dallas vacant apartment
August 31, 2014, Updated September 1, 2014

Dallas police are investigating the murder of a 5-year-old girl whose body was found in a vacant apartment.

Katherine Alejandra Gonzalez disappeared Sunday morning. A search team found her body three hours later at the Sontera Palms apartment complex in the Lake Highlands area.
 

Gonzales did not live in the complex, but was known to visit her babysitter there regularly.

No arrests have been made. Police are questioning several people.

[MuffyBee]

It would appear there are discrepancies in the name of the five year old angel.  Various articles report her name as  "Kathrine" or "Katherine" ?  Hopefully, I can get that confirmed soon.  It's so important to have this right, imo.  

[MuffyBee]

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/09/01/dallas-police-search-for-young-girls-killer/
Dallas Police Search For Young Girl’s Killer
September 1, 2014

 

Officials have taken in a number of people for questioning, including several other young children. Neighbors said that they saw the girl riding on a tricycle shortly before her disappearance. Now, those same neighbors are worried about their own children. Some parents have even stopped their kids from playing outside.
“My kids won’t be over here anymore, period,” said parent Omar Moran. “Whoever did it is still out there. This area is not safe at all.”
Police are hoping that the public can help solve this case. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Dallas Police Department immediately.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/crime/2014/08/31/missing-girl-found-dead-northeast-dallas/14908079/
Source: Arrest made in the death of a 5-year-old Dallas girl
September 1, 2014

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: A Dallas police source says an arrest has been made in the death of 5-year-old Kathrine Alejandra Gonzalez, who was found dead in a vacant apartment unit Sunday at a northeast Dallas apartment complex.

READ FULL PREVIOUS REPORT BELOW:
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/crime/2014/08/31/missing-girl-found-dead-northeast-dallas/14908079/
DPD: Cousin arrested in strangulation death of 5-year-old girl
September 1, 2014

Police say a medical examiner ruled Kathrine's cause of death as strangulation.


Angel Sanches-Zenteno was arrested in the strangulation death of 5-year-old Katherine Gonzalez.(Photo: Dallas Police Department / WFAA)

DALLAS — Police have arrested the 17-year-old cousin in the death of a 5-year-old girl, whose body was found Sunday afternoon inside a vacant unit at a northeast Dallas apartment complex.

In a news conference Monday afternoon, Maj. Rob Sherwin announced the arrest of Angel Lizandro Sanches-Zenteno, the cousin of 5-year-old Katherine Alejandra Gonzalez.

Sherwin said a medical examiner ruled Kathrine's initial cause of death as strangulation.

Authorities were first called to the Sontera Palms complex in the 9500 block of Royal Lane by the victim's aunt, who told police she had last seen the young girl playing with her siblings at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Katherine's parents said she had been playing with a dog and an older cousin when she disappeared around noon. Residents helped police search for the child until her body was discovered in a vacant unit at about 2:30 p.m.
 
Police said Katherine didn't live at the Sontera Palms complex, but was there with her brothers and sisters under the care of their uncle while their parents were at work.

Authorities said they were led to Sanches-Zenteno by a witness, who reported seeing him with the child shortly before she vanished.

Sanches-Zenteno, the witness and family members were taken to Dallas police headquarters for questioning. Police didn't reveal what evidence led them to conclude the teen was responsible for her death.

Sherwin said the cousin lived in a separate apartment that was located in a building across from where the children were being cared for by their uncle. Katherine's body was found in a vacant unit located next door to Sanches-Zenteno's apartment.

[Nut44x4]

 

[Green Eyes]

 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/01/dallas-missing-girl-killed-cousin-dallas-katherine-strangulation-murder/14937575/
Witness describes moments before murdered girl vanished
September 1, 2014

DALLAS — Freddie Washington was possibly the last person to see 5-year-old Katherine Gonzalez alive besides her killer.

He saw her with Katherine's 17-year-old cousin, Angel Sanches, Sunday morning as they walked a dog.

"First thing I asked was, 'Is that your dog?'" Washington said. "And he said, 'No, my prima's dog,' which means my cousin's. And she said, 'Oh, my dog? Do you like my dog?' And I said, 'Yes, very pretty.'"

Washington said Katherine and her cousin were standing in front of the apartment where police later found her body. Monday, police announced the arrest of Sanches in the strangulation death of the young girl.
 
Katherine's aunt called 911 and reported her missing. While her uncle was supposed to be watching her, he let her go outside to play. There was a frantic search in which police, loved ones and neighbors searched the area.

"People even went so far so to allow officers into homes and cars to search for this child," said Maj. Rob Sherwin.

The little girl was found hours later inside a vacant apartment next door to Sanches' unit.

Washington said relatives at the scene were screaming at Sanches to tell police what happened to the child.

"He was like, 'I don't know; I was asleep,'" Washington said. "And I said, 'That's a lie. Where is the child? Where is she?'"

Police say after talking to Sanches until 3 a.m. Monday, he was arrested and charged with capital murder.

Sanches is being held on an immigration hold. They believe he entered the country illegally six months to a year ago.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/02/teenager-denies-killing-young-cousin-found-hanged/14950073/
Teen denies killing young cousin found hanged
September 2, 2014


Katherine Gonzalez memorial(Photo: Jenny Doren / WFAA)


DALLAS -- Angel Sanches told Dallas police that he is an "accomplice" but did not kill his young cousin after the little girl's body "was found hanging in a closet by a shirt around her neck," according to his arrest warrant obtained by News 8.

"I did not rape her," Sanches said in Spanish after agreeing to speak to detectives at Dallas police headquarters.

He faces a charge of capital murder for the death of Katherine Gonzalez, his 5-year-old cousin.

The little girl's body was found Sunday afternoon in a vacant unit at Sontera Palms Apartments on Royal Lane in Lake Highlands. She was staying with her uncle as her parents were at work.

A witness, Freddie Washington, told detectives that he unknowingly witnessed Sanches lure Gonzalez into the apartment where her body was discovered.

"He kept telling her to 'Come on, come on,' like come home or something," Washington told News 8. "I think he waited for me to leave around the corner and then took her into the vacant apartment."

But Sanches denied to detectives he harmed the girl, according to the warrant, and instead blamed someone he only identified as "Carlos."

Sanches said "he was taken at gunpoint by a person only identified as 'Carlos' into the vacant apartment" where Gonzalez's body was later found, the warrant said. Sanches said his young cousin followed him and "Carlos" inside.

Sanches added that "he heard the juvenile complainant begin to cry," the warrant said. "He explained that he then heard the door close and he exited the apartment to see that the neighbors had begun searching for the juvenile. He also explained that he is an 'accomplice' but did not see the juvenile in the apartment after he exited the closet."

After an exhaustive search by neighbors and police, officers found the girl's body inside a vacant apartment "hanging in a closet by a shirt around her neck," the warrant explained.

Investigators took mouth swabs and fingernail clippings from Sanches to compare to DNA at the scene.

Though charged with capital murder, Sanches is not eligible for the death penalty in Texas since he is 17. Monday night, a judge set Sanches' bond at $1,000,000.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/05/murdered-girl-laid-to-rest-funeral-dallas/15118755/
Murdered girl to be laid to rest Friday
September 5, 2014

 
In an obituary posted by the Restland Funeral Home, services for Katherine Gonzalez will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Memorial Chapel at the funeral home, located at 13005 Greenville Avenue. A visitation was held Thursday evening.
 
Gonzalez' 17-year-old cousin, Angel Sanches, has been charged with the crime, but he is telling police that another man named "Carlos" is responsible for the murder.
Police are investigating DNA found at the scene and have charged Sanches with capital murder. He's not eligible for the death penalty because he's 17. His bond has been set at $1 million.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/24/teen-death-sanches-suspect-cousin-murder-sexual-assault/16172937/
Teen suspect in cousin's murder charged with sexual assault
September 24, 2014

DALLAS — More than three weeks after a teen was arrested in the murder of his 5-year-old cousin, police have now added a charge of sexual assault.

On August 31, a search for Katherine Gonzalez was initiated after she vanished while under the care of her uncle at a Lake Highlands apartment complex. Her body was later found hanged by a shirt in a closet inside a vacant unit at the complex.