Gwinnett teen was 38 weeks pregnant when body was found in woods

A teenager was 38 weeks pregnant when she was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend in Gwinnett County, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Mia Campos, 16, was found dead July 15 in a wooded area off Stephens Road near Loganville. An autopsy report by the Gwinnett Medical Examiner’s Office obtained by Channel 2 states that she died from “asphyxia due to neck compression.”

Her ex-boyfriend, 20-year-old Jesus Monroy, was initially arrested on charges of lying to investigators two days after Campos’ body was found, police said. Officers then took out warrants charging Monroy with malice murder, felony murder, feticide and aggravated assault. He was released from the Gwinnett jail on a $50,000 bond in August.

A day before Campos was found, family members told police she left the house with an unknown person. Her family tracked her location using a cell phone app and went searching for her in the woods, where they eventually found her body.

“She was just lying there ... already cold,” Miriam Zarate, Campos’ mother, told Univision Atlanta. “I touched her belly, trying to, hoping that maybe her baby would still be alive, but too much time had passed.”

Zarate described Campos as a sweet, innocent girl who was excited to see her baby’s smile, Univision reported. She said at the time that she was shocked Monroy was arrested.

“I don’t understand because he was here that night. He helped us look for her. He found her. He came here on (July 15), and he was here (July 16),” she said. “I don’t know what happened.”

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.

Get all the news about the Atlanta Braves delivered each morning. Sign up for Braves Report.