HOUSTON – The boyfriend of a missing woman is facing a murder charge in the case, but authorities believe he left the country.
Miguel Angel Buezo, 27, is charged with murder in the death of his girlfriend, Karen Ramirez.
Ramirez, 26, has been missing since March 24. Her blood-stained vehicle was found abandoned on March 31 at an east Houston warehouse near Tilgham Street at Port Houston.
According to court documents, Buezo and Ramirez got into an argument on the night of March 24 at the La Playita Bar & Grill in southeast Houston and left the business.
A witness said Buezo was seen around 4 a.m. the next day outside of Ramirez's vehicle yelling at Ramirez, "Shut up and calm down. I'm going to shoot at you like I shot at you the other time!"
According to investigators, surveillance video shows a man who resembles Buezo looking in the trunk of Ramirez's car before shutting it and walking back to his residence.
Ramirez's vehicle was found a week later. Police said there was a large amount of blood inside the car -- on and under the driver's seat. There was also a bullet hole through the passenger side door that appeared to have come from inside the vehicle, investigators said.
Detectives also discovered dried blood on the carpet in the trunk and the smell of decomposition of a body.
Court documents state investigators interviewed another witness who told them that Buezo said he was flying to Honduras to see his sick mother. The witness said Buezo stated he got into an argument with Ramirez. He asked the witness to help him move a car.
Police said the witness confirmed that the location was the same place where Ramirez's car was found.
According to investigators, Buezo flew to Honduras on March 26.
The second witness said one of Buezo's family members said Buezo's mother wasn't sick and hoped that Buezo didn't do something "stupid" to Ramirez.
Texas EquuSearch joined the search Monday for Ramirez's body. Volunteers are focusing on the area near Bellfort and Telephone roads in southeast Houston.
"I think they need to find him, people need to have closure so they can close that chapter in their family. That's a sad thing for it to happen," Ron Moore, one of the couple's neighbors, said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Houston Police Department missing persons unit at 832-394-1840.