SAN ANTONIO – The arrest of a suspect in the murder of a woman whose body was found in a burning South side garage is "unusual" because the victim still hasn't been identified, San Antonio police said.
"It's very unusual. This is a rare case where we've made an arrest before identifying the victim. Usually when we're able to identify the victim, that can lead us to make an arrest," said police spokesman Officer Douglas Greene, said.
Greene said investigators got a lucky break when a tipster came forward with information leading investigators to Javier Hernandez, 29, who was arrested Sunday on a murder charge.
Firefighters found the victim's body after putting out a fire in a garage Jan. 22 in the 300 block of West Harding Boulevard.
"A witness stated that he was in a conversation with the suspect. The suspect confessed to committing this crime," Greene said. "The suspect stated that (Hernandez) had strangled the victim in a location that was a detached garage and then he set the location on fire."
Greene said the suspect shared information that was known only by those closely involved in the investigation.
But as of Monday morning police still don't know the name of the victim.
Soon after her body was discovered, police reached out to the public for help.
"We've had some information that did come in and we're following up on a few leads, but nothing yet that has been able to allow us to identify her," Greene said.
If and when police do learn her identity, Greene said, it still may not be case closed.
Investigators are still looking into the possibility that other people may have been involved in the slaying, Greene said.