Overview
- Police say Esmeralda Perez‑Mendez, 35, was found dead in a Columbia bedroom and suffered injuries consistent with strangulation that likely occurred in the overnight hours of July 25–26.
- Investigators determined 24‑year‑old Darwin Carcamo‑Santiago lived at the home and identified him as Perez‑Mendez’s boyfriend before obtaining arrest warrants charging him with first‑ and second‑degree murder.
- Howard County officers said Carcamo‑Santiago was believed to have fled the area after the killing and issued a public description and tip lines for sightings.
- Local authorities in Texas arrested Carcamo‑Santiago on Monday afternoon, according to Howard County Police, ending the active manhunt described by investigators.
- Howard County Police asked anyone with information to call 410‑313‑STOP or email HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov, and the case underscores concerns about intimate‑partner violence and the role of cross‑jurisdiction cooperation in homicide investigations.