Person of interest in Marion County teen's death is in country illegally, sheriff's office says

DUNNELLON, Fla. - FOX 35 News is learning more about a 17-year-old girl killed in Marion County over the weekend and about her boyfriend.

The boyfriend, 21-year-old Saul Garcia Macias, is the only person of interest in the case, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) and investigators can’t find him.

Sofia Lugo just turned 17 last month. Her aunt, Margarita Aguirre, says she would never have guessed that would be the last birthday they’d celebrate with her. 

"For somebody to come abruptly and just end her life like that – it’s just not fair. She had so much ahead of her," said Aguirre.

RELATED: Boyfriend of Florida teen found shot dead named person of interest, deputies say

Aguirre is Sofia’s mother’s sister. She says it’s been difficult trying to handle funeral arrangements while the family is still grieving.

"Kids are the ones that are supposed to bury their parents, not the other way around," she said through tears.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says Sofia was at her boyfriend’s house in Dunnellon on Saturday night.

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Around 1 a.m. Sunday, deputies got a call from the boyfriend’s mom, saying Sofia was dead in the house with a gunshot wound. Macias was nowhere to be found.

"He was home with his with his girlfriend, then he disappeared, and his girlfriend was located deceased," said Valerie Strong, the Public Information Officer for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Right now, Macias is not a suspect in this case, but he is the Sheriff’s Office’s only person of interest. 

"He has the answers," said Strong. "He knows what happened to that 17-year-old young girl who lost her life way too soon."

The Sheriff's Office says Macias is in the country illegally.

FOX 35 News talked with over half a dozen people in the neighborhood, all of whom said crime is a major issue in the area. Most were too scared to go on camera, but Jessica Castillo said she was so fed up, she wanted to speak out. 

"We’re scared every day," Castillo said. "Every time we hear the dog barking we’re like, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’"

Jessica Castillo says she heard her dog barking around 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

"I see the forensics, the K-9 unit, the helicopter," Castillo recounted. "So that’s how I knew something bad happened."

She didn’t learn until the next day that a teenager had been found shot to death a couple of doors down.

Sofia’s family is now grappling with their grief and their lack of answers. 

When asked what Aguirre would want to say to him, she answered, "Why run?"

Castillo had the same thought process.

"Maybe he didn't do it, maybe he did," she told FOX 35. "He needs to say what happened because that's not fair to the girl's family."

The sheriff’s office is asking people to come forward if they know where Garcia Macias is, or if they have any other information on this homicide.