ORLANDO, FLA. (WSVN) - Family members of Miya Marcano picked up her body from the medical examiner’s office and are now preparing to bury her.
They continue to ask for answers as to how her killing could have happened.
On Wednesday, a chilling new cellphone video of suspect Armando Caballero was released as well.
7News obtained the video where Marcano’s family members are seen speaking to the 27-year-old maintenance worker shortly after their loved one was reported missing the night of Sept. 24.
“I understand that, that is y’all family. But until we figure out what is going on, just don’t beat me up,” Caballero said in the video.
“Nobody is beating you up,” family members could be heard saying.
“If I was guilty, why would I be here?” he replied.
Another family member then said, “You put yourself in the middle right here. You brought yourself over here.”
“‘Cause we’re concerned,” Caballero said.
The footage initially showed Caballero speaking with a deputy next to a silver vehicle about eight hours after Marcano was last seen.
Marcano’s family said Caballero showed up at the Arden Villas apartment complex early in the morning the Saturday after she went missing, asking about the 19-year-old.
Family members of Marcano said his appearance was odd, so they began recording.
“There’s evidence of obsession, of some – you’re obsessed with Miya,” a family member is heard telling Caballero.
“It’s not only from my side, so don’t try to make this that I’m responsible,” replied Caballero.
“I’m not saying that. Obviously, she’s missing,” the family member said.
The family member later circled back to her first claim.
“You have sent obsessive texts to Miya. We have all seen the texts,” she said. “You talk about giving her your life’s savings. You CashApped her money, and you claimed that you weren’t in touch.”
“I never said that,” said Caballero.
“As a matter of fact, we’re going to get a police report,” said the family member.
“You could easily see the way he was acting, his demeanor, something wasn’t right,” said Daryl Washington, the attorney representing Marcano’s family. “You were able to see that perhaps there’s some bruising on his face, on his hand.”
Caballero was released after being questioned by deputies.
Washington indicated deputies should have pressed Caballero further when they interviewed him.
“No reason why he could not have been detained and more detailed questions asked of this individual,” he said.
But Orange County Sheriff John Mina said that was not the case.
“The family mentions concerns about previous interactions between Miya and Armando Caballero. However, at the time that the video was taken, there was no basis for our deputies to detain or arrest Armando Caballero,” said Mina during a press conference held Wednesday.
Caballero was later found dead of an apparent suicide on Sept. 27.
According to Washington, after the family discovered Marcano was not on the flight she was scheduled to take, they contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a welfare check on the 19-year-old.
When a deputy arrived at Marcano’s apartment, he waited for her roommate to arrive and give him access to the apartment.
They discovered her door was barricaded by a dresser, so the deputy helped the roommate climb through the window of Marcano’s bedroom — which is now considered a crime scene.
Under a rug inside the bedroom, Washington said, deputies found what looked like a box cutter that Marcano’s family said was not hers.
Family members said they received very little assistance from the Arden Villas apartment complex.
Washington said a deputy told a security guard at the complex that this is not a high-priority case.
Seven days later, Marcano’s body was found in a wooded area near the Tymber Skan, nearly 20 miles away from Arden Villas.
Washington said she was found bound with tape around her ankles, her feet, and across her mouth.
“We’re learning that the guy had tape across her mouth. He had the wrists taped and her feet taped together,” he said.
Investigators said Marcano was wearing jeans, a bar and a robe when her body was discovered. A shirt was found stuffed inside her purse.
Mina said it does not appear she was sexually assaulted.
“We don’t know today whether Miya was alive when she left that apartment, or whether she was deceased,” said Washington.
Investigators said Caballero used a master key to enter Marcano’s apartment just before she vanished.
Wednesday evening, residents held a protest in front of the complex.
“No justice, no peace. We can’t even sleep!” yelled a demonstrator as she held up a sign.
Some residents are taking issue with a clause in their lease stating, “Owner has no obligation to obtain criminal background checks on any residents and bears no responsibility or liability related to the criminal background or actions (whether past, present or future) of any person…”
The Arden Villas apartment complex said they ran a background check on Caballero.
Residents of the complex are demanding increased security. Thousands have signed a petition to allow them to get out of their leases.
“A couple of weeks before Miya Marcano’s disappearance, I had an instance where a maintenance person entered my apartment completely unannounced,” said a protester. “I was in my bedroom at the time. My door was closed; I was in the middle of getting undressed. I was very, very terrified that someone could just come in to my apartment with, like, no notice at all.”
“It’s something all of us are scared that could happen to us. It could happen to anyone,” said another protester.
“This is very important, you know, for everyone’s daughter,” said a third protester.
Marcano’s family took her body back to South Florida on Wednesday, with many questions still unanswered.
As of Wednesday night, a spokesperson for Arden Villas has not responded to 7News’ requests for comment.
It remains unclear how Marcano died.
“Our detectives, my commanders, myself, we’re going to look into every part of this investigation to see and to make sure that everything possible was done in our quest to find Miya,” said Mina.
Investigators said they do not believe anyone else was responsible for what happened to Marcano except for Caballero.
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