Body of Missing Texas 10-Year-Old Found in Well

Police say Kayla Gomez Orozco was murdered by a family member
By Daniel Kay,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 7, 2016 4:56 PM CST
Body of Missing Texas 10-Year-Old Found in Well
Efrain Gomez, center, and his wife, Balvina, hold candles in memory of his daughter, Kayla Gomez-Orozco, as they stand with family and friends during a vigil at Jack Elementary School in Tyler, Texas.   (Andrew D. Brosig/Tyler Morning Telegraph via AP)

Ten-year-old Kayla Gomez Orozco has been found dead after a four-day search, the Dallas Morning News reports. A family member, 24-year-old Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, has been charged with murder. Kayla went missing Tuesday night near Tyler, Texas, triggering an Amber Alert and a regional search. The search was called off on Saturday night, when police discovered her body in a well near a family member's house. She was wearing the same clothes as the night she disappeared. Different news outlets have described Zavala-Garcia as either an uncle, a cousin, or a cousin by marriage to Kayla.

Zavala-Garcia was initially detained on an immigration hold while investigators put together a case. KETK reports Zavala-Garcia is an undocumented immigrant, and was deported in 2014 for an alleged violent crime. The Smith County Sheriff's Office officially charged Zavala-Garcia with capital murder on Monday, and is holding him on $10 million bond. The Tyler Morning Telegraph reports that a press conference will likely take place on Tuesday morning. (More crime stories.)

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