Remains ID'd as Dallas mother missing since December
DALLAS -- Officials in Dallas have identified a body found over the weekend as woman that has been missing since December, reports CBS DFW.
The medical examiner confirmed that the remains are Marisol Espinosa, the 34-year-old mother of three who went missing on Dec. 29, 2015. Dallas police are now calling the case a homicide, according to the station.
The body was reportedly discovered by a group of animal activists who were searching near a remote section along Dowdy Ferry Road in Dallas County. Investigators say the cause of death has yet to be determined.
Espinosa was reportedly last seen leaving to go work at a hair salon in NorthPark Center. Her ex-boyfriend, Faustino Valdez, told police that Espinosa kissed him goodbye before she left, according to CBS DFW.
Her SUV was reportedly recovered at an apartment complex near their neighborhood with her purse and belongings locked inside.
Valdez had initially participated in the searches for Espinosa, but then vanished in early January, according to the station. Family members told CBS DFW that Valdez was questioned by police in January, but he hasn't been named a suspect.
Family members visited the remote site Monday where the human remains were found. It was in the general area where some searches had taken place, according to the station, but volunteers did not go that far.