After discovering the body of a woman who had gone missing from Conyers two days ago, Newton County investigators arrested two suspects on murder charges Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office.
Irma Valdez, 46, was reported missing Monday, spurring an investigation. A friend of Valdez reported her missing after she attended a party with a friend, who said they had dropped Valdez off at a hospital because she was sick, according to a missing person report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Newton deputies found her body in a wooded area off Stephenson Road in Covington two days later.
Newton investigators arrested two in connection with Valdez’s death: 31-year-old Jose Sermeno and 27-year-old Katerin Abrego. Valdez, Sermeno and Abrego are all from Covington.
Sermeno and Abrego face charges of malice murder, false statements and concealing the death of another. The sheriff’s office also charged Sermeno with two counts of second-degree cruelty to children and Abrego with tampering with evidence and willful obstruction of law enforcement officers.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately say what led to the cruelty charge.
Preliminary findings determined that Valdez knew the suspects, the sheriff’s office said.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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