Man’s Incriminating Search History Probed After Girlfriend’s Death

A Texas man accused of burning his girlfriend’s body in 2019 remained out of custody for years. Investigators say newly analyzed cellphone data ultimately helped lead to his arrest on Sunday.

Joey Emiliano Tovar-Vargas, 24, faces a charge of tampering with evidence involving the death of 20-year-old Meagan Gonzales, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday.

Sheriff Javier Salazar said Gonzales was last seen on Nov. 11, 2019, riding in her truck with Tovar-Vargas in San Antonio. Her family reported her missing four days later.

Investigators located Gonzales’ truck on Dec. 2, 2019, at an apartment complex in the 5300 block of Northwest Loop 410. Blood was found inside the vehicle. The following day, officers discovered her body in a field along the 12000 block of Wisdom Road, more than 20 miles from where the truck had been abandoned.

According to Salazar, the remains had been burned and were badly decomposed. They were wrapped in a blanket bearing “distinctive” patterns that investigators would later use as an important link to Tovar-Vargas.

Detectives had considered Tovar-Vargas a possible suspect for years but initially lacked enough evidence to move forward. The case was reopened for a fresh review by the cold case unit last year, and advances in forensic technology enabled investigators to conduct a deeper analysis of data from his cellphone. Salazar described the results as a “treasure trove” of evidence.

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The phone’s location records placed Tovar-Vargas near areas where authorities recovered some of Gonzales’ belongings, the sheriff said. Investigators also found searches for “how long fingerprints last,” as well as queries about deleting social media content.

Photos recovered during the investigation allegedly showed the same patterned blanket inside Tovar-Vargas’ home, Salazar said. A witness also approached authorities and reported seeing him dispose of evidence in the days after Gonzales’ death.

Authorities say the evidence supports a charge of tampering with a corpse, but prosecutors have not charged Tovar-Vargas with murder.

“In a criminal investigation, there’s what you believe happened, and there’s what you can prove happened,” Salazar said. “So while we believe we know what happened, we believe that obviously that Mr. Tovar is … responsible in what ultimately happened to Meagan. What we can prove at this point is that he disposed of her body.”

Tovar-Vargas remains held at the Bexar County Jail on a $200,000 bond. His next court appearance is set for March 29.

Eddie Gonzales, Meagan’s father, told local CBS affiliate KENS that he once dreamed of telling his daughter he would ensure her alleged killer was held accountable. After the arrest, he visited her altar.

“I told her, ‘Meagan, it looks like you’re getting your justice that I promised you,’” he said. “Meagan, I hope you get some rest now, as I’m getting it.”