UPDATE: Irving Cisneros Arguelles has been charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Jorlany Osario Benitez.
UPDATE: The search for missing St. Landry Parish woman Jorlany Osario Benitez has tragically come to a close. A spokesperson for the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Benitez’s body was found near the site where her vehicle had been set on fire. The discovery followed an extensive search of the area after Benitez’s car was found in the Lebeau area along Highway 10 near Washington.
The search intensified on Tuesday afternoon, as the St. Landry Parish Search and Rescue team scoured Eunice City Lake for several hours. This search was prompted by a confession from the man in custody, who is connected to Benitez’s disappearance. The suspect admitted to disposing of her body in the lake, though further investigation revealed that her remains were actually located in a wooded area near the LeBeau site.
Benitez was reported missing on Monday afternoon after her friends and boyfriend were unable to reach her. Concerned for her safety, they began tracking her phone and were able to trace it to a suspect in the case. This led investigators to Benitez’s burned vehicle, which was discovered in LeBeau, a rural area in the northern part of the parish.
Authorities have since arrested and questioned the suspect, who is believed to be a relative of Benitez. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating to piece together what happened leading up to Benitez’s tragic death.
The investigation into Benitez’s death remains ongoing, with an autopsy scheduled to provide additional details. Local authorities are continuing to seek answers and urge anyone with relevant information to come forward.
The suspect has been booked with simple arson and is being detained pending notification to Homeland Security and ICE.
Previous Story:
We have an update on the search happening in the Eunice City Lake area.
Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says that his deputies were called about a missing woman on Monday.
Friends said Jorlany Osario Benitez was missing. They learned her phone was in a remote area along La. 10, where her car was found in a field, burned.
A responding deputy found a man, later identified as Irving Cisneros Arguelles, who allegedly had attempted to discard the phone.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives began the investigation, which resulted in Arguelles leading deputies to the Eunice City Lake.
The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit is on scene conducting diving operations, the sheriff said.
For now, Guidroz is describing this as "an active missing person case until actual facts are uncovered."
Arguelles has been booked with simple arson.
If you've seen Jorlany, or have additional information about this crime, you're encouraged to call the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-948-6516.
You may also call Crime Stoppers at 337-948-TIPS, download the P3 app on your mobile device or simply dial **TIPS on your mobile phone to tip. All calls are anonymous and you can earn a cash reward for information leading to an arrest.
Here's our original story:
Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz is confirming that his office is investigating a missing person report. Deputies, as well as Search and Rescue staff from the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, are in the area of Eunice City Lake at this time.
An undocumented man has been taken into custody relative to this incident, and is being detained pending notification to Homeland Security and ICE, a release states.
Mark Leblanc, the public information officer for the sheriff, said a woman was reported missing by her friends on Monday. Her cell phone signal was northern part of the parish, and deputies developed a suspect. That man allegedly admitted to dumping her body in the area of Eunice City Lake, Leblanc said. He's believed to be the missing woman's cousin, he said.
We have a crew en route to the area, and we'll update this story as soon as we have more information.
