Authorities arrested a man accused of killing his 18-year-old girlfriend after her battered body was found in the back of his pickup truck.
Juan Carlos Diaz Perez, 20, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Suceli Perez, according to police.
Diaz Perez was apprehended by U.S. Marshals near a quarry Tuesday, following a 24-hour manhunt in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Authorities first began their investigation into Suceli's death Monday after receiving a tip from a "third-party... that a man had gravely injured his girlfriend" at a home in Knoxville, according to police.
Investigators responded to the residence and allegedly found evidence of a "potential deadly assault," but the victim and suspect were not on the scene.
A short while later, Suceli's body was allegedly found in the bed of Diaz Perez's abandoned pickup truck. A medical examiner ruled she died from blunt force trauma.
According to a GoFundMe campaign aimed at raising money for funeral costs, Suceli leaves behind a 2-year-old girl.
It's unclear if Diaz Perez is the girl's father.
A motive in Suceli's alleged slaying remains under investigation.
