Deputies Search For Missing College Student Miya Marcano As Person of Interest Dies From An Apparent Suicide

A maintenance man who was a person of interest in the disappearance of Florida college student Miya Marcano has been found dead of an apparent suicide, investigators said this week.

Armando Manuel Caballero’s body was discovered on Monday at an apartment complex in Seminole County, Orange County Sheriff John Mina told reporters at a news conference on Monday. It appears that the 27-year-old died by suicide; he had been dead for quite some time, Mina added. His silver Ford Fusion with Florida license plates was also found at the scene, deputies said.

Marcano was last seen Friday at the Arden Villas Apartment Complex in Orlando at 5 p.m., where she lived; she also worked in the leasing office, deputies said. Caballero worked at the complex and had expressed a romantic interest in Marcano, but was repeatedly rejected, Mina said.

Caballero had been employed as a maintenance man at the complex since June, deputies said. He entered Marcano’s apartment around 4:30 p.m. — 30 minutes before she was scheduled to leave work. Mina said deputies had issued an arrest warrant for burglary for Caballero because he entered her apartment illegally with a master key. The apartment was in disarray, family members told WPLG.

Miya Marcano missing poster Photo: Orange County Sheriff's Office

Authorities said one of two gold necklaces that Marcano always wore was found broken on her bedroom floor and her belongings were scattered around the room; there was dirt on the floor, they added. Relatives said that was odd because the young woman always removed her shoes before entering her carpeted bedroom, WPLG reported. 

Caballero told deputies that he last saw Marcano about two hours before she disappeared, while they were both working, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Marcano’s father, Marlon Marcano, told WESH-TV that he last spoke to his daughter on Friday afternoon, but didn’t hear from her when she got off work.

Marcano, a sophomore at Valencia College, was expected to fly to Fort Lauderdale on Friday night to visit family, but missed the flight and hasn’t been seen or heard from since, WESH reported.

Marcano’s distraught relatives spoke at a news conference on Tuesday asking for the public’s help to bring her home. They have been searching for her since Friday.

“Miya, baby girl, if you can hear me if you are seeing me, we are here, we are coming. Hold on, hold on,” her aunt, Semone Westmass, said Tuesday

Westmass said she had a disturbing encounter with Caballero on Saturday night, the station reported.

“He said, ‘Are you looking for Miya?’ I said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, “I’m her maintenance guy. I heard you are looking for me,” Westmass said.

Marcano is described as five feet tall with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. She was last seen in jeans, a black hoodie, and a red T-shirt with a logo for Preiss Co.

“We also ask that you continue to keep Miya’s friends and [family] in your thoughts and prayers they continue to navigate this difficult situation,” the complex posted on Facebook.