John Jefferson
A 63-year-old mother and beloved healthcare worker was found dead after she set off on her regular hike along a trail in Texas – and now a 38-year-old man is facing charges in connection to the case.
Stacey Dramiga went hiking along the Salado Greenway Trail near Dafoste Park, in San Antonio, at around 10am on Sunday morning, according to Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Her husband reported her missing later that day when she failed to return.
In a press briefing on Monday, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that Dramiga’s body had been found about 30 yards into a wooded area off the trail.
An autopsy found that she died from blunt force trauma to the head, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office told People.
Dramiga’s death is now being investigated as murder with the sheriff saying “we don’t believe that she went off that trail voluntarily”.
“We believe that she was either forced or taken off of that trail to the point where we found the body,” he said.
Marco Flores, 38, was arrested and charged with evading arrest and detention in connection to the case.
The sheriff’s office told People that Flores was around the scene at the time that Dramiga’s body was found and spoke to investigators.
“While Flores was speaking with the Deputy, Flores provided some details regarding the victim’s condition that were not released to the public,” the office said.
When Flores was told he would be taken in for questioning, he allegedly fled.
He was detained and taken to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters for questioning. He has since been booked into Bexar County Jail, said KSAT.
The sheriff had said on Monday that investigators wanted to speak to a woman seen chatting to the victim on the morning she disappeared. That woman is not believed to be a suspect in the case, he said. Dramiga’s family members are also not suspected of any involvement in her death.
Dramiga’s husband told Bexar County Sheriff’s Office that his wife – who worked as the director of the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Clinic at the Brooke Army Medical Center – would regularly frequent the trails and felt comfortable doing so alone.
But Keith Dibrell who lives near the trail told KSAT “you couldn’t even pay me to go down there.”
“If you’re walking through there and you’re not from this area and folks know that, you’ll get jacked,” he added.
Salazar said on Monday that deputies from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and San Antonio Park Police would be patrolling the trail routes on “horseback” and “bicycles” but insisted that the trails are safe.
“The Greenway Trails are absolutely safe, right? But you have to no matter where you are, whether you are in a park, a rural area, or in the middle of the city, you’ve got to be aware of your surroundings at all times,” he said.
“You’ve got to make sure that you’re notifying somebody of where you’re going to be, if you’re going to the mall by yourself, shopping, you know, it’s a good idea to let somebody know, drop a pin on your cellphone.
“Let them know the general area you will be. Just on the off chance something does happen to you. We want you to be aware of your surroundings at all times.”
Police urged members of the public to come forward with any information about the case.
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