He reportedly crossed into the US through El Paso, Texas, in January and 'self-surrendered' to authorities before he was released

Maria Gonzalez, 11, was found strangled to death under her bed in Pasadena, Texas

The main suspect in the murder of an 11-year-old girl found strangled to death under her bed in Texas is a Guatemalan immigrant who entered the US in January, police said on Friday - revealing that a key left behind in the little girl's home was a vital piece of evidence.

Maria Gonzalez's body found by her father at their home in Pasadena, Texas, on Saturday, August 12, when he returned home from work. She had also been sexually assaulted, police said.

Pasadena Police Department on Friday named Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, 18, as a 'person of interest' and the main suspect in the case.

He 'was residing at the same apartment complex where the victim was found but has since left', police said. He was there for several weeks, and last seen at the complex two days after her killing. Garcia-Rodriguez is now being hunted by cops.

Garcia-Rodriguez is believed to have entered the US in January. He crossed the border in El Paso, Texas. After he 'self-surrendered', it is believed the teenager, who was 17 when he crossed, was then let free.

Maria Gonzalez's body was found by her father at their home in Pasadena, Texas, on Saturday, August 12. The 11-year-old was found strangled under her bed

Pasadena Police Department on Friday named Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, 18, as a 'person of interest' and the main suspect in the case

In a press conference on Friday - six days after the murder - Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger named Garcia-Rodriguez as a 'person of interest'

Detectives have released a photograph of Garcia-Rodriguez with their appeal and also offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest or charges.

Sources in the Department of Homeland Security told NewsNation that it's believed he may have fled to Mexico.

Garcia-Rodriguez had been released after entering the US because he had a sponsor in Louisiana. A sponsor typically agrees to provide housing or financial support to a migrant while they are processed and their status is determined.

Maria's father had called police at around 3pm on August 12 and said he had found his daughter's lifeless body under her bed.

Her body was stuffed in a trash bag that was placed inside a clothes hamper, which was put under a bed.

Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

Police say the girl's father, Carmelo Gonzalez, 32, found her after returning home from work. She had been sexually assaulted and killed.

Detectives initially said they had no suspects in the case and urged anyone with information which could catch Maria's killer to come forward.

In a press conference on Friday - six days after the discovery - they named Garcia-Rodriguez as a 'person of interest'.

Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger said that detectives found at key at the crime scene which did not match any locks at the property.

They discovered it was in fact linked to another address in the apartment complex where Garcia-Rodriguez was staying.

Carmelo Gonzalez said he left for work at around 10am on August 12 and communicated with his daughter over the phone a little later. That is when she told him a stranger was knocking at the door

Maria and her father Carmelo had been had been living in the apartment complex for about three months, after stints in Florida and Austin, Texas. The girl's mother lives in Guatemala

'We have turned over quite a bit of evidence to the Institute of Forensic Sciences,' he said, adding that DNA evidence would be processed.

Police have a DNA sample for Garcia-Rodriguez, he said.

'He was last seen at the apartment complex at 4pm Monday (August 14),' said the chief. 'His whereabouts are not known.'

Chief Bruegger said that detectives spoke to Garcia-Rodriguez at the apartment complex on Monday, before he was a suspect. The picture released by officers on Friday was a still from bodycam footage of the interaction.

He was residing at a property with two others who are also from Guatemala.

On the day Maria was discovered, her father had left their apartment for work at about 10 am and had been in communication with his daughter over the phone.

Shortly after leaving, Carmelo said he received a message from Maria telling him someone had been knocking at the front door.

On Tuesday, Bruegger had revealed Carmelo then called family members who resided in the same apartment complex to check on his daughter.

Family members were not able to find her, according to authorities. That was until her father came home and found her body.

Her official cause of death was ruled as asphyxiation due to strangulation and blunt force head and neck trauma.

Additional investigation determined she had also been sexually assaulted.

Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger said the Guatemalan was a 'person of interest' and the main suspect in Maria's murder

Maria and her father had lived at the relatively quiet apartment complex for about three months when the murder occurred

Law enforcement officials said there was no forced entry into the home.

The father and daughter had been living in the apartment complex for about three months. The girl's mother lives in Guatemala.

Maria and her father lived in Austin, Texas, and Florida before Pasadena. Maria was not enrolled at Pasadena ISD, police said.

'Whoever saw something just after 10am on Saturday at that particular apartment, we're asking them to come forward with the information they might have,' said Bruegger.

'We're doing our level best to get out and solve this crime.

'As a parent of an almost-10-year-old myself, it certainly is a cause for concern.'

Police have taken DNA samples from some people living in the complex, but they say getting cooperation has been challenging.

Tens of thousands of migrants have entered the US through El Paso this year.

The crisis has been ongoing for several years but reached its peak in around December 2022 as the government prepared to end covid-era Title 42 rules that made it harder to enter the country.

Many present to authorities and are processed before they are released.

Most are expected to appear in court at a later date for a process to determine their status.