Family of pregnant teen allegedly killed by baby’s father speaks out

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. (Court TV) — The family of a pregnant teen who was killed near their home has shared information about the tragic details of their daughter’s life and the hours leading up to her death.

16-year-old Mia Campos was 7.5 months pregnant when the father of her unborn son, Sebastian, lured her near the entrance of her neighborhood and then killed her by means of asphyxiation before leaving her body in the woods, an arrest warrant states.

A static image taken from a doorbell security camera showing Mia Campos leaving her home on July 14, 2024 at 10:31 p.m. (Campos Family via Court TV)

Doorbell camera video showed Mia leaving her house at 10:31 p.m. on July 14. According to her family, 20-year-old Jesus Monroy picked her up to go down the street to a QuikTrip gas station, something not out of the ordinary, according to her brother Alexis Campos.

“They would always go somewhere. They would go out to eat. They would go to appointments. But for some reason, before she left, I had kind of a bad feeling,” Alexis said.

When Mia didn’t return home or answer her phone, her family used an app to track her location , which showed her activity stop nearby around 10:58 p.m. Mia’s family called Monroy to see where they were, and Monroy said that he hadn’t seen her that day. Monroy and his father went to the Campos’ home to help look for Mia.

The app led them to a patch of woods less than a mile from Mia’s house, where her family found her face down and visibly turning purple. They called 911, and minutes later, the authorities arrived and began processing the scene.

MORE | Police charge ex-boyfriend of pregnant teen with her murder

When the medical examiner arrived, Mia’s brother, who had been sitting on the side of the road next to Monroy, described him as acting “a little odd” and not showing much emotion.

According to Alexis, the first thing Monroy said to him was, “‘Do me a favor. Don’t tell them that I’m the one that got Mia pregnant…that I’m the father of the son.'”

Police described their first encounter with Monroy, who was “hesitant to tell (the officer) who he was and how he knew Mia.” He told the investigator he was a “close friend of the family.”

This is a booking photo of Jesus Monroy, 20, who was arrested on July 17, for providing false information to police in the homicide investigation of Mia Campos. (Gwinnett County Police via Court TV)

Mia’s sister, Marisol Salizar, who reported Mia missing while her father and Monroy went looking for Mia, said that Monroy was the “one who impregnated Mia.” She was present when police first approached Monroy. Salizar told him in Spanish to “tell the truth and not to lie.” After that, Monroy stood quietly, refusing to answer any more questions.

Monroy was arrested on July 17 for providing false statements to officers and held without bond until July 23, when he was charged with malice murder, felony murder, feticide, and aggravated assault, according to an arrest warrant.

Mia’s father, Edward Campos, says he is also trying to file statutory rape charges, as Mia was only 15 and Monroy was 19 when the child was conceived. Edward told Court TV that he wanted to press charges initially, but resisted at the request of Mia, who wanted to have Monroy in their baby’s life.

Photos provided by Mia Campos’ family show the happy pregnant teen. Photos that were taken shortly before she was killed in July 2024. (Campos Family via Court TV)

Alexis told Court TV that he was the one who introduced Mia to Monroy, and the family was unaware they had been seeing each other until Mia got pregnant. Alexis said the baby was not welcomed news to Monroy, who at first claimed he would not take responsibility as the father, and worried about costs and responsibility. Edward said he went to Monroy and his family to give him an out, saying that he could walk away and that he would care for his daughter and his grandchild. That’s when Mia’s family says Monroy started actively participating in Mia’s life.

Monroy’s court-appointed attorney, Brandon Delfunt, told Court TV he is not making any statements on Monroy’s behalf, nor is Monroy speaking publicly for himself.

Last month, Delfunt represented Miles Bryant, a former police officer convicted of kidnapping and murdering 16-year-old Susana Morales. Delfunt and his wife and legal partner, Joanna, run a law firm together in Georgia.

Monroy’s initial court appearance has been waived, and he is not expected to appear again in court until Aug. 23 for a preliminary hearing.