What happened to Miya Marcano? Search for missing college teen intensifies after suspect Armando Manuel Caballero kills himself

Miya Marcano, a 19-year-old college student from Orlando, has been missing since Friday, September 24, 2021. She was last seen at Arden Villas, a luxury apartment where she lived and worked.

The teenager was set to catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale on the night of her disappearance. She was scheduled to visit family but left her loved ones concerned when she didn't show up.

As per the police report, an intruder entered Marcano's apartment without her knowledge half an hour before she finished her work shift at the building's leasing office.

Authorities later discovered that Armando Manuel Caballero, a maintenance employee at Arden Villas, owned a master key to access Marcano's room. He was subsequently declared a 'person of interest' in the investigation.

The search for Miya Marcano recently intensified after Armando was found dead in his apartment during the investigation. He reportedly committed suicide and was proclaimed dead on September 27, 2021.

---

The investigation into the disappearance of Miya Marcano

Miya Marcano is a 19-year-old missing college student based in Orlando (Image via DJ Eternal Vibes/Instagram)

Miya Marcano is a sophomore student at Valencia College in Fort Lauderdale. She came to Orlando to pursue higher studies after graduating high school in Broward County in 2020.

Unfortunately, the 19-year-old was declared missing on Friday after being last seen near her Orlando apartment. Authorities found signs of struggle in her room.

According to The Sun, her room had a blocked bedroom door, unlocked windows, stains of blood on her pillow, and a disheveled room.

Investigators found that Marcano's apartment was unlocked using a master key that allegedly belonged to Caballero. The Orange County Sheriff's Office released an arrest warrant for him on charges of burglary.

Caballero began working at the building in June and reportedly harbored romantic feelings for Miya Marcano. He told officials that he saw the college student two hours before she went missing.

Authorities also discovered that Caballero's feelings were not reciprocated and hence deemed him a person of interest in the matter. Officials reported that Marcano's "repeatedly rebuffed" Caballero's advances.

But things took a turn for the worse in the investigation when police found Caballero's body in his Seminole County apartment. The suspect reportedly passed away after committing suicide, but no cause of his death has been revealed so far.

Meanwhile, Miya's father, Marlon Marcano, shared a heartfelt message about his daughter's disappearance on Instagram:

“Mimi, my heart is aching. I haven’t slept or eaten in days. Where are you baby??? Your whole family is here looking for you. We will not stop until you’re back home. I’m slowly losing my mind over here.”

Marcano is five feet and 130 pounds with brown hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing jeans, a red shirt and a hoodie, as reported by her colleagues. Orange County Sheriff John Mina mentioned that the disappearance was suspicious and suspected an act of foul play.

Mina also shared that authorities worked throughout the weekend to find the missing teenager. An aerial search using six helicopters was also conducted to search the woods behind Marcano's apartment.

Nearly 30 officials are still actively involved in the search operation for Miya Marcano. Police are also examining Caballero's car for clues.