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Eight years ago, a Harlingen teen finished her shift at a Harlingen restaurant and was never seen alive again.
On July 17, 2016, Nahomi Rodriguez, 19, was working the night shift at McDonald’s located at 602 N. 77 Sunshine Strip and called her mother at 12:30 a.m. to let her know that she had found a ride home.
Investigators believe Rodriguez got into a man’s SUV at around 1:30 a.m. after studying surveillance footage.
She would never make it home.
Then, in April 2017, her remains were found near a canal at the Centerline Road and FM 106 of Rio Hondo.
“We continue working closely with District Attorney Luis V. Saenz to resolve this case, and we will continue to push forward until we get the answers we need to provide closure for Nahomi’s family,” a Wednesday press release from the Harlingen Police Department stated.
The investigation led authorities to Miguel Angel Flores, 41, a prisoner in a Brazoria state prison after he was convicted of aggravated robberies committed in Cameron and Hidalgo counties.
Last year, Saenz stated in a press release that Flores is the current person of interest along with unidentified co-conspirators.
On July 14, 2023, Harlingen police Commander Jose Luis Garcia stated that investigators believe Flores and Rodriguez knew each other and that others were involved.
“We do believe there’s more than one person involved,” Garcia said. “We strongly believe that co-conspirators are involved.”
He added that Flores, who now has about nine years remaining on his aggravated robbery sentences, will be eligible for parole in about four years.
Flores is eligible for parole in 2027.
Saenz added that he believes Flores’ family members are refusing to disclose what is believed to be “critical information.”
“Based on the investigation, we believe family members may have critical information regarding Nahomi’s death but are refusing to cooperate with law enforcement,” Saenz stated in a press release.
Garcia also stated that tips have led their investigation to Flores.
“I believe we found him,” Garcia said. “Based on the information we have now, it’s going to be a homicide. This whole case got to this point based on information we received. It was a very minuscule type of information. We ran with it for months. We did a lot of interviews. We definitely need people with information to come forward. If you know something about it, it’s best to come forward on your own.”
The Harlingen Police Department continues to seek assistance from the community for information concerning Rodriguez’s case and asks the public to contact Investigator Perez at (956) 216-5459, or anonymously by contacting the Harlingen Area Crime Stoppers at (956) 425-8477.
