Missing Pregnant Woman Found Dead In Freezer And Boyfriend Is Arrested For Her Murder

The search for a missing pregnant woman in Texas came to a tragic end this week when authorities allegedly discovered her body in her boyfriend's freezer.

William James Hernandez, who is also known by the name Martinez, was arrested Tuesday in relation to the disappearance and death of 23-year-old Selena Ann Bradley, the San Angelo Police Department said in a news release. Bradley was last seen alive on Oct. 16; investigators identified Hernandez as a suspect and on Monday, searched both a commercial building and a residence associated with Hernandez. They found Bradley dead at the home in question, and Hernandez, who was apprehended after a brief manhunt, was charged with her murder, according to police.

Authorities found Bradley's body in a freezer in the kitchen, KTXS reports, citing an arrest affidavit. While her cause and manner of death are pending until the completion of an autopsy, there were "marks on her neck and the left side of her face consistent with being struck and assaulted," court documents state.

Selena Ann Bradley and William Martinez Photo: FAcebook; Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office

Hernandez and Bradley were in a relationship, and Bradley was pregnant with her third child, KTXS reports. Before her body was found, Hernandez is alleged to have admitted killing his girlfriend to a friend, telling him that "he had done something terrible and he would go to prison for life" and that Bradley's body was in a freezer, according to the outlet. The victim's mother also told the outlet that her daughter's alleged killer used her Facebook account to post on social media, pretending to be her and claiming that she was alright.

In the midst of their investigation, authorities learned that Hernandez was possibly hiding in Abilene, Texas; authorities located him at a car wash in the area, but he escaped capture after purposefully hitting a police car, authorities said. A search team tracked his abandoned car to a field in Jones County, and an officer with the Hamlin Police Department found Hernandez after receiving a tip from a citizen regarding a man walking with a limp, according to a KTXS report.

Hernandez is currently being held at the Tom Green County Jail, online jail records show. His bond has been set at $1,000,000, according to KTXS.

Prior to the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Hernandez was facing charges related to claims that he sexually assaulted a child under the age of 14 on four different occasions in one day, according to a February report from the San Angelo Standard-Times.