The father of a 12-year-old girl found strangled to death last week in Northeast D.C. was arrested in connection with the homicide Friday night, District police said.
Felipe Antonio Caceres, 45, had last been seen Tuesday morning in Northeast Washington before reappearing at the 3rd District police substation late Friday afternoon. A missing person report for him had been filed Thursday.
Lt. Michael Farish said Caceres arrived at the substation between 5:25 and 5:30 Friday evening. Caceres, who had a laceration injury to his arm, was taken to an area hospital for treatment and later arrested and charged with felony murder, Farish said.
Caceres, 45, had been missing since Tuesday morning, five hours before his daughter, Marisol Caceres, was found unconscious, police said.
The missing person report for Caceres issued by the Metropolitan Police Department on Thursday said Caceres was wanted “for questioning only” in Marisol’s death (emphasis included in the report).
Mayor Adrian Fenty, Police Chief Cathy Lanier and Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., D-Ward 5, spoke Saturday concerning the arrest.
“Beyond just the … tragedy of this, the [murder] of a 12-year-old in our city is something that has to go punished,” Fenty said.
Caceres was arraigned Saturday at D.C. Superior Court.
