Inset: Meagan Gonzales (GoFundMe). Background: Joey Emiliano Tovar-Vargas following his arrest on an evidence-tampering charge in connection with Gonzales’ death (Bexar County Sheriff’s Office).
A Texas man accused of burning his girlfriend’s body in 2019 remained free for years until investigators used newly analyzed cellphone data to build a case against him, authorities said Sunday.
Joey Emiliano Tovar-Vargas, 24, faces a charge of tampering with evidence—specifically, a corpse—in the death of 20-year-old Meagan Gonzales, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff Javier Salazar said Gonzales was last seen with Tovar-Vargas inside her truck on Nov. 11, 2019, in San Antonio. Her family reported her missing four days later.
Investigators found the truck on Dec. 2, 2019, at an apartment complex in the 5300 block of Northwest Loop 410. Blood was discovered inside. The following day, police located Gonzales’ body in a field in the 12000 block of Wisdom Road, more than 20 miles from where her vehicle had been found.
Salazar said the body had been burned, was severely decomposed and was covered with a blanket featuring a distinctive pattern. That blanket later became an important piece of evidence in the investigation.
Detectives had suspected Tovar-Vargas for years but initially lacked enough evidence to arrest him. The case took a new turn when the sheriff’s cold case unit revisited Gonzales’ disappearance last year. Using updated technology, investigators conducted a deeper analysis of data from Tovar-Vargas’ cellphone and uncovered what Salazar described as a “treasure trove” of evidence.
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Cellphone location records placed Tovar-Vargas near areas where investigators recovered some of Gonzales’ belongings, according to the sheriff. Detectives also found searches allegedly made from his phone, including “how long fingerprints last” and information about deleting social media accounts.
Photos recovered during the investigation also appeared to show the blanket found around Gonzales’ body inside Tovar-Vargas’ home, Salazar said. A witness additionally told investigators that they saw Tovar-Vargas discarding evidence in the days after the killing.
Authorities say the evidence supports a charge of tampering with a corpse, but Tovar-Vargas has not been charged with murder.
“In a criminal investigation, there’s 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 in the Bexar County Jail on a $200,000 bond. His next court appearance is set for March 29.
In an interview with local CBS affiliate KENS, Meagan’s father, Eddie Gonzales, recalled a dream in which he promised his daughter that the person responsible would be 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.”
