Arrest Made After Breakthrough in 2019 Murder of Texas Woman
Summary
Authorities arrested Joey Emiliano Tovar Vargas in connection with the 2019 killing of Meagan Gonzales, but charged him only with tampering with evidence involving a human corpse. Investigators said a new review of his cellphone evidence helped link him to the disposal of Gonzales’s body and belongings; they have not announced a murder charge.Key Facts
- Gonzales, 20, was reported missing on November 15, 2019, and her burned, severely decomposed body was found weeks later in a Bexar County field.
- Investigators said Gonzales was last seen alive with Tovar Vargas in her vehicle on November 11, 2019.
- The Bexar County cold case team reexamined evidence in 2025 and found relevant information during a forensic review of Tovar Vargas’s cellphone.
- Phone records placed Tovar Vargas near locations where Gonzales’s belongings were dumped and her truck was found.
- Investigators found photos of a blanket in Tovar Vargas’s home that they said appeared to match the blanket around Gonzales’s body.
- The sheriff said searches on the phone included questions about fingerprint persistence and deleting social media accounts.
- The sheriff said investigators have no other suspects and are seeking additional information from the public.
- Gonzales’s father said the arrest brought him some relief, but he wants answers about what happened to his daughter.
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