Authorities now believe an Alabama family missing for more than a month is dead after three bodies were found buried in a town 50 miles away.
The bodies are suspected to be Aurelia Choc Cac with his two children, Niurika Zuleta Choc again Anthony Garcia Chocwere found in Summerdale in Baldwin County on Wednesday afternoon, March 11, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday, March 12, on Facebook.
Adoption comes after a man, Hector Gamaliel Argueta-Guerrawas arrested on three counts of kidnapping in connection with their disappearance, according to authorities. Us Weekly previously reported.
Aurelia, 40, Niurka, 17, and Anthony, 2, went missing from their home in Theodore on January 30, according to the sheriff’s office. Theodore is about 50 miles west of Summerdale, where the bodies were found on March 11.
“Signs of a struggle” were found at their home, the sheriff’s office said in a previous news release.
On March 12, the sheriff’s office announced that Argueta-Guerra was charged with first degree murder of a child under 14, obstruction of justice using a false name, three counts of abuse of a corpse, three counts of murder, burglary, three counts of murder and kidnapping, and two or more counts of murder.
“Our prayers are with the family and friends of those who knew Aurelia, her daughter Niurka, and her two-year-old son, Anthony,” said the sheriff’s office. “Hector, you are a sick person to have done what you did to this family and we know that if you are convicted, you will never see the outside world again.”
Legal representation information for Argueta-Guerra was not immediately available.
Investigators are busy identifying the bodies, according to authorities.
At a March 12 news conference, Paul Burch said the size of the bodies was “consistent” with three members of the Choc family.
“This is a horrific and horrific murder case,” Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood he said, before announcing, “The state will seek the death penalty in this case.”
A possible motive for the alleged murder was not specified by the authorities.
When Burch was asked about a possible motive, he said “What would be the motive to kill a two-year-old child?”
The FBI had previously offered a $15,000 reward for any information leading to the location of Aurelia and her children.
Argueta-Guerra is from El Salvador, where he is suspected of having a history of violent crime, authorities previously said at a Feb. 24 press conference, WKRG reported. He is an alleged member of Los Surenos, an international gang with ties to El Salvador.
