Ex-boyfriend now charged with murder after pregnant 16-year-old found dead on side of road

Arrest warrants state Mia Campos was killed by asphyxiation. (WANF)
Published: Jul. 24, 2024 at 10:54 PM EDT

ATLANTA (Atlanta News First/Gray News) - A week after a pregnant 16-year-old’s family found her dead on the side of a road in Georgia, the girl’s ex-boyfriend is now facing charges related to her death, according to police in Gwinnett County.

Jesus Monroy is accused of malice murder, felony murder, feticide and aggravated assault, the Gwinnett County Police Department announced Tuesday.

Monroy was arrested two days after Mia Campos’ body was found, although he only faced a charge of lying to police at the time.

Arrest warrants state Mia Campos was lured to the entrance of her neighborhood and killed by asphyxiation.

“Definitely heartbreaking. You obviously want to keep the focus on the family and their grieving,” said Corporal Juan Madiedo, of the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Arrest warrants state Mia Campos was killed by asphyxiation.(WANF)

Mia Campos’ family confirmed Monroy was the unborn child’s father. Her father, Edward Campos, told Atlanta News First he was always wary of Monroy.

“Since the beginning, I had a bad feeling, like, ‘This is not good,’” Edward Campos said. “I told my daughter, ‘Why don’t you just walk away? You’ve got your family. I mean, you’ve got everything.’ She had my support. She had my wife’s support.”

Around 1 a.m. on July 15, officers were called to the 3600 block of Stephens Road in Loganville, where Mia Campos’ family had located her body lying face down in a wooded area near the road using a cellphone tracking app. They told police she left the house the night before with an unknown person.

Edward Campos said his daughter was found less than a mile away from home.

“It was hard. I knew it was something wrong – her lips, her bleeding nose,” Edward Campos previously told Atlanta News First. “They murdered my baby.”

In the wake of the incident, the father said he is grateful for law enforcement’s swift action.

“The police officers, everybody who was involved, did a great job. It was fast,” Edward Campos said.

The teen’s family started an online fundraiser to help pay for the funeral.