Sintia Mesa 25 Missing/Suspicious 1/26/07 MD/ Murdered
Woman Missing After Going To Visit Beauty Salon Family Believes Missing Woman Has Met With Foul Play POSTED: 8:07 am EST January 29, 2007 UPDATED: 9:56 am EST January 29, 2007 Sintia Mesa CHILLUM, Md. -- A 25-year-old woman from Chillum, Md., went to a beauty salon on Friday and has not been seen or heard from since, her family said. Sintia Mesa left for an appointment Friday at a beauty salon in Randallstown, Md., and her family said they are growing increasingly worried. "I just want her to know we're here hoping for her safe return home," her sister Claudina Mesa said. "We just want her home soon. We don't want her out there another night." Claudina Mesa said her sister missed a 3 p.m. nail appointment Friday as well as a mandatory job meeting at 6:30 p.m. She also said her sister's 2004 silver Toyota Solara with Maryland Chesapeake Bay license plates 31421-BY, is also missing. Police said the missing woman's cell phone was found in a Dumpster and now her family believes she has met with foul play. "I do kind of sense that she's with someone she doesn't know and that, that person kind of forced their way into her car somehow and has her somewhere against her will," her sister said. Relatives filed a missing person's report, which is being investigated by Baltimore County police. Meanwhile the family keeps the lights on, hoping she'll come home. Anyone with information about Sintia Mesa is asked to contact the Baltimore County Police Department. Stay with News4 and nbc4.com for complete coverage. http://www.nbc4.com/news/10868708/detail.html?dl=mainclick

Body found inside car of missing College Park resident Monday, Jan. 29, 2007 by Dennis Carter Staff Writer Baltimore County police confirmed a body was found in the car of a missing College Park resident but would not confirm the identity. Sintia Mesa, 25, was last seen leaving a Baltimore County hair salon around 2:30 p.m. Jan. 26. She drove away in her 2004 silver two-door Toyota Solara, said Bill Toohey, spokesman for the Baltimore County police department. Mesa’s car was found in Baltimore on Monday afternoon, three days after she was reported missing in Baltimore County. Toohey said a body was found Tuesday morning in Mesa’s car in northwestern Baltimore City — near the city-county border — but police would not confirm an identity. Baltimore City Police spokesman Det. Donny Moses said police will make an announcement when the person’s family is notified. http://www.gazette.net/stories/012907/princou172133_32020.shtml

Jan 29, 2007 6:02 pm US/Eastern Missing Woman Found Dead In Car In Randallstown (WJZ) RANDALLSTOWN, Md. Baltimore County police have confirmed that a body found inside a car in Randallstown, does belong to a Maryland woman who went missing last week. Sintia Mesa, 25, disappeared on Friday in Randallstown. Police found her cell phone and some other items near a dumpster over the weekend. Mesa's car was found in the 7200 block of Broadcrest Way Monday. Police have not yet released the cause of Mesa's death or whether anyone else is being sought in connection with her death. Stay with Eyewitness News and WJZ.COM for more on this unfolding story. http://wjz.com/local/local_story_029133703.html

Missing Chillum Woman's Body Found In Car 6:23 p.m. EST January 29, 2007 CHILLUM, Md. - Police said the body of a missing 25-year-old woman from Chillum, Md., was found in the trunk of her car on Monday. Sintia Mesa's 2004 silver Toyota Solara with Maryland Chesapeake Bay license plates 31421-BY was found in Baltimore at about 11:30 a.m. Mesa left for an appointment Friday at a beauty salon in Randallstown, Md., and then went missing. Claudina Mesa said her sister missed a 3 p.m. nail appointment Friday as well as a mandatory job meeting at 6:30 p.m. Police said the missing woman's cell phone was found in a Dumpster. Her family said they had believed she had met with foul play from the instant they realized she was missing. "I do kind of sense that she's with someone she doesn't know and that that person kind of forced their way into her car somehow and has her somewhere against her will," her sister said. Investigators have not said whether they have developed a motive or suspect in the case. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Baltimore County Police Department. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16876968/from/RS.5/

Jan 29, 2007 10:17 pm US/Eastern Former Morgan St. Student Found Dead In Car Trunk Dennis Edwards Reporting (WJZ) BALTIMORE, Md. Baltimore City police have confirmed that a body found inside a car trunk, belonged to a former Morgan State University student who had been reported missing over the weekend. As WJZ's Dennis Edwards reports, 25-year-old Sintia Mesa disappeared on Saturday after last being seen in Randallstown. The search for Mesa began over the weekend when the 25-year-old did not show up for a beauty appointment. She then missed an important meeting at work. Police found her cell phone and some other items near a dumpster over the weekend. Her car was then found in the 7200 block of Brookcrest Way Monday with her dead body in the trunk of the vehicle. Friends and some of Mesa's former sorority sisters held an impromptu candle light vigil Monday evening. "She really, truly was a special person," Faith Underwood said before a crowd at the vigil. She added, "Sintia if you're here we are here for you, we love you, we miss you, may you rest in peace." Police have determined that Mesa was murdered though they have not yet released the precise cause of her death. Officials will await autopsy results before releasing that information. Investigators also declined to release whether any weapons were used in the killing though they have confirmed her body showed signs of trauma. So far no suspects or motives have been released. http://wjz.com/topstories/local_story_029133703.html

Missing Woman's Body Found In NW Baltimore Chillum Woman's Body Found In Trunk Of Own Car POSTED: 8:07 am EST January 29, 2007 UPDATED: 8:12 am EST January 30, 2007 CHILLUM, Md. -- Police said a 25-year-old woman from Chillum, Md., was found dead Monday morning in northwest Baltimore. Investigators said Sintia Mesa's body was found stuffed in the trunk of her own car about 11:30 a.m. Police said someone called police to report what looked like Mesa's silver 2004 Toyota Solara in the parking lot of an apartment complex. There were signs of trauma, but police haven't said how she died. Nancy Mesa, Sintia Mesa's sister, told News4, "We were hoping she'd come home, but they found her in the car dead. Right now they're looking for leads. They think that she knew the person." Friends and family grew worried after Mesa left a hair appointment at a hair salon in Randallstown, Md., Friday, then failed to show up for a 3 p.m. manicure and a mandatory 6 p.m. work meeting. Baltimore police issued a lookout for Mesa's car on Sunday after her cell phone and some other personal belongings were found in a large trash bin. "Processing the car will be very important. Hopefully we'll find a fingerprint or somebody that was in the car may have left something," Detective Donny Moses of the Baltimore Police Department said. "Of course we're going to take a very close look at her, the victim, and see the extent of her injuries and try to determine how long after she was reported missing until the time when she was killed." Investigators said they are looking into the possibility Mesa was killed somewhere else and her body driven in the trunk of her car to the parking lot where the vehicle was found. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Baltimore County Police Department. Stay with News4 and nbc4.com for complete coverage. http://www.nbc4.com/news/10868708/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

Sources: Chillum Woman's Death May Be Linked To Theft Body Found In Trunk Of Woman's Car POSTED: 8:07 am EST January 29, 2007 UPDATED: 7:34 pm EST January 30, 2007 CHILLUM, Md. -- Police said the death of a 25-year-old woman from Chillum may be linked to a break-in at a storage facility in Laurel. Investigators said Sintia Mesa's body was found stuffed in the trunk of her own car about 11:30 a.m. in northwest Baltimore. Sources told News4's Pat Collins that police are investigating the possibility that Mesa's death is linked to a break-in and theft at a storage unit in Laurel. Sources also said police also are looking into the possibility that Mesa was killed by somebody that she knew. Police said someone called police on Monday to report what looked like Mesa's silver 2004 Toyota Solara in the parking lot of an apartment complex. There were signs of trauma, but police haven't said how she died. Nancy Mesa, Sintia Mesa's sister, told News4, "We were hoping she'd come home, but they found her in the car dead. Right now they're looking for leads. They think that she knew the person." Friends and family grew worried after Mesa left a hair appointment at a hair salon in Randallstown, Md., Friday, then failed to show up for a 3 p.m. manicure and a mandatory 6 p.m. work meeting. Baltimore police issued a lookout for Mesa's car on Sunday after her cell phone and some other personal belongings were found in a large trash bin. "Processing the car will be very important. Hopefully we'll find a fingerprint or somebody that was in the car may have left something," Detective Donny Moses of the Baltimore Police Department said. "Of course we're going to take a very close look at her, the victim, and see the extent of her injuries and try to determine how long after she was reported missing until the time when she was killed." Investigators said they are looking into the possibility Mesa was killed somewhere else and her body driven in the trunk of her car to the parking lot where the vehicle was found. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Baltimore County Police Department. Stay with News4 and nbc4.com for complete coverage. http://www.nbc4.com/news/10868708/detail.html

Jan 31, 2007 2:32 pm US/Eastern Police Searching For Murder Victim's Boyfriend Adam May Reporting (WJZ) BALTIMORE More information is released surrounding the murder of a Maryland woman and former Morgan State student who was found dead Monday in the trunk of her own car. Twenty-five-year-old Sintia Mesa of Chillum had been missing since she left a hair appointment Friday afternoon in Baltimore County. Federal agents are working with Baltimore police to determine if the death of a former Morgan State University student was connected to suspected drug activity involving her boyfriend. WJZ's Adam May reports investigators have more questions about the relationship Mesa had with boyfriend, Jermarl Jones. Jones has a long record of drug charges. A few weeks ago he appeared in court for charges related to a huge drug bust. In 1994, he was convicted of manslaughter. In 2002, police were called to an empty Cockeysville apartment for a noise complaint. When police entered they found 200,000 dollars worth of heroin, 20,000 gel capsules, plus scales and ziplocks. Clare Weber from the Department of Justice would not say if Jones was the focus of any criminal investigations or whether she was cooperating with federal agents trying to build a case. Mesa's vehicle sat in the parking lot of a Northwest Baltimore apartment complex for three days as friends and family launched their own search. Police say they have more leads in the case, but no arrests have been made. http://wjz.com/topstories/local_story_029133703.html

Boyfriend Of Woman Found Dead In Trunk Turns Himself In Deputy U.S. Marshal: Warrant Not Connected To Chillum Woman's Death POSTED: 3:05 pm EST February 1, 2007 UPDATED: 5:38 pm EST February 1, 2007 BALTIMORE -- Authorities said a Hyattsville man whose girlfriend was found dead in the trunk of her car has turned himself in to U.S. marshals. Jermarl Jones, 31, was wanted on an arrest warrant for allegedly violating the conditions of his release from custody in a federal drug case. He was indicted last year on charges of conspiring to sell heroin and was arrested Jan. 3. Deputy U.S. Marshal Mark Frederick said the warrant is not connected to the homicide investigation. Jones was scheduled to have a hearing at U.S. District Court in Baltimore Thursday afternoon. Jones is also scheduled to go to trial next month in Baltimore County on a car theft charge. The body of Jones' girlfriend, 25-year-old Baltimore salon employee Sintia Mesa, was found Monday afternoon. The Chillum woman had been missing since Friday. City police said she was killed by asphyxiation. Sources told News4's Pat Collins that police are investigating the possibility that Mesa's death is linked to a break-in and theft at a storage unit in Laurel. Sources also said police are looking into the possibility that Mesa was killed by somebody that she knew. Nancy Mesa, Sintia Mesa's sister, told News4, "We were hoping she'd come home, but they found her in the car dead. Right now they're looking for leads. They think that she knew the person." Friends and family grew worried after Mesa left a hair appointment at a hair salon in Randallstown on Friday, then failed to show up for a 3 p.m. manicure and a mandatory 6 p.m. work meeting. Baltimore police issued a lookout for Mesa's car on Sunday after her cell phone and some other personal belongings were found in a large trash bin. "Processing the car will be very important. Hopefully we'll find a fingerprint or somebody that was in the car may have left something," Detective Donny Moses of the Baltimore Police Department said. "Of course we're going to take a very close look at her, the victim, and see the extent of her injuries and try to determine how long after she was reported missing until the time when she was killed." Investigators said they are looking into the possibility Mesa was killed somewhere else and her body driven in the trunk of her car to the parking lot where the vehicle was found. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Baltimore County Police Department. Stay with News4 and nbc4.com for complete coverage. http://www.nbc4.com/news/10902623/detail.html

Feb 2, 2007 11:16 pm US/Eastern Boyfriend Of Murder Victim Goes Before A Judge Kathryn Brown Reporting (WJZ) BALTIMORE New insight into the high-profile murder of Sintia Mesa. Friday night, her boyfriend, who remains a person of interest, faced a judge. Before making her decision in this unrelated drug case, the judge spoke with Baltimore City homicide detectives about Sintia Mesa's murder then decided Jermarl Jones should be free to go. A heart breaking funeral service brought both pain and comfort to friends and family. One person missing from the service was Mesa's boyfriend, Jermarl Jones, now in custody on charges he violated the terms of his release on an unrelated drug case and a "person of interest" in Mesa's murder. In a hearing Friday, federal authorities quickly pointed out his possible involvement in Mesa's murder--in which Jones is not being called a suspect, only wanted for questioning. "She and he had a four and a half year relationship. There's nothing to suggest anything was wrong with their relationship and I just think the government is using it as a vehicle to try and seek his detention," said Stanley Needleman, Jones' attorney. Now Eyewitness News digs deeper into testimony given by federal agents who say in the days leading up to Mesa's murder, she and Jones were living together at her parents' home and, as a condition of Jones' pre-trial agreement, Mesa would verify his whereabouts with authorities. When her asphyxiated, naked body was found in the trunk of her own car Monday, investigators immediately began searching for Jones. Tuesday, authorities got a call from Jones' friend who says he's distraught over the murder and no longer feels comfortable living with Mesa's parents, then drops off the radar. According to testimony given by federal agents tracking Jones' cell phone, he last used it in Baltimore City, then turned it off Tuesday evening. Thursday, Jones turned himself in on charges he violated his release agreement. Despite an aggressive push by prosecutors, a judge ruled Jones is free to go. Prosecutors immediately appealed. "We sought detention immediately and we continue to believe he ought to be detained but that's a decision the judge will have to make," said US attorney Rod Rosenstein. http://wjz.com/local/local_story_029133703.html

Jan 30, 2008 8:59 am US/Eastern Police Continue To Search For Sintia Mesa's Killer Reporting Dennis Edwards BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― It's been a year since Sintia Mesa's beaten and naked body was found in the trunk of a car. Dennis Edwards reports Tuesday night, friends celebrated her life while police continue the search for the killer. More than 100 friends and sorority sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha celebrated a friend, daughter and cousin on the campus of Morgan State University. "I believe it's harder when someone's murdered than it is for someone who just passes just because of health. When someone's taken without cause and without reason, it's very, very hard," said Meco Mesa, Sintia's cousin. Almost a year after she was found beaten, strangled, stripped naked and stuffed into the trunk of her own car, there are no suspects in custody. "I'm hoping they find someone soon, someone who can come to justice. I'm not looking for the return, for that person to take the same loss she took, but my thing is to bring them to justice so we can get closure in this case," Mesa said. Baltimore Police declined on-camera interviews but Eyewitness News has learned this case is still very active. Sources close to the investigation say police have shifted their focus from Mesa's boyfriend to some of his acquaintances. Eyewitness News has learned they're looking into several leads, including the possibility that her death may have been connected to debt her boyfriend allegedly owed to someone. Although the investigation file is quite active, no arrest is imminent. That means Mesa's parents, sisters, brothers and cousins must live with uncertainty a little while longer. On this night, at least, they get to remember the good times. "As time passes, it gets better. We've become a closer family since this," Mesa said. Her family says it's had little contact with police about the investigation. Mesa's boyfriend was brought in for questioning but no charges were filed. http://wjz.com/local/sintia.mesa.2.641117.html