Body Found In Wooded Area of Orlando Confirmed To Be Missing 19-Year-Old Miya Marcano

The Orange County Medical Examiner has confirmed that a body found in a wooded area of Orlando over the weekend is that of missing 19-year-old Miya Marcano.

“A positive identification of a female whose body was recovered in a wooded area on October 2, 2021 has been identified as Miya Marcano,” Orange and Osceola Counties Medical Examiner Dr. Joshua Stephany said in a statement.

“This case is currently under active law enforcement investigation and any further requests for information, including cause and manner of death, will be deferred to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.”

Daryl K. Washington the attorney representing Marcano’s family, told the Orlando Sentinel that the news was “very tough” for the family to hear. “It’s just a really sad situation of what this young lady went through.”

A spokesman for Washington criticized the sheriff's office's response to the case, telling the paper that investigators didn't treat Marcano's disappearance with the proper urgency. The sheriff's office is scheduled to meet with the media later Wednesday. 

The attorney also released a new video of an encounter between Miya's family and the prime suspect Armando Caballero. The cell phone video was taken on Sept. 25, the day after Marcano's disappearance.

"You have sent obsessive texts to Miya," a family member said to Caballero in the video. "We have all seen the texts. You talked about giving her your life savings. You Cash App'ed her money and you claim you weren't in touch."

At one point Caballero responds: "It's not only from my side. So, don't try to make this like I'm a stalker."

As previously reported by Oxygen.com, Marcano was last seen on Sept. 24 at the Arden Villas Luxury Apartments in Orlando where she lived and worked in the leasing office. She was expected to fly to Fort Lauderdale that night to visit family, but never showed up.

Caballero, a maintenance worker at the apartment complex, was a person of interest in her disappearance. He was found dead of an apparent suicide on Sept. 27, investigators said.

He had expressed romantic interest in Marcano, but his advances were rebuffed, according to Orange County Sheriff John Mina.

Mina said Caballero is the only suspect in the case and authorities believe he was “responsible for the crime.”

As previously reported by Oxygen.com, authorities believe Caballero used a master key to enter Marcando’s apartment about 30 minutes before she was scheduled to leave work. 

Washington questioned the thoroughness of a background check on Caballero during an interview with WESH. 

"A basic background check would show this guy had some hits on his record," he told the station.

Washington told the Orlando Sentinel that he and the family are looking into possible legislation about security at apartment complexes to prevent future tragedies.

Residents of Arden Villas are planning protest on Wednesday to bring attention to their safety concerns, the Sentinel reported.

Washington said many current and former residents have told him about bad experiences at the apartment complex, including a woman who repeatedly complained about Caballero but was “basically ignored,” according to the Sentinel.

A petition with a list of demands for Arden Villas at Change.org has more than 27,000 signatures, according to Spectrum News 13. 

Some of those demands include more security, better lighting around apartments and more surveillance cameras on buildings.