Missing Austin Woman Found Dead In Motel: Police

AUSTIN, TX — A woman had gone missing has been found dead, and her ex-boyfriend is now under suspicion after a violent encounter with police, officials said Tuesday.

San Juana Macias, 40, had not been seen since Friday, July 5, at 1105 Clayton Lane, near Interstate 35 and Highway 290, prompting police to issue a plea for the public's help in finding her. On Tuesday, just after the noon hour, a body believed to be Macias was found at a Roadway Inn motel at 1601 E. Highway 290, police said.

Jamie Jerome Wingwood, 40, was subsequently arrested in Louisiana on July 7, at around 3:35 p.m., police added. A detective with the missing persons unit had been called in to investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding the woman's disappearance, which led to his arrest.

Police also cited comments Wingwood made to family members that led them to believe Macias’ life was in imminent danger and Wingwood was fleeing the state to avoid apprehension by law enforcement, police said in a press advisory.

Related story: Austin Police Ask Help From Public Seeking Missing Woman

As a result, the detective dispatched a Be on the Lookout For (BOLO) alert for Wingwood’s 2008 Maroon Honda Accord while listing Macias as a missing and endangered person, police explained. On July 8, APD Missing Persons was notified that Jefferson County, Texas, officers were engaged in a vehicle pursuit with the vehicle owned by Wingwood, and identified in the nationwide BOLO.

The long pursuit continued into Beaumont, Orange County and Westlake, Louisiana for more than one hour, at which point Wingwood collided with two law enforcement vehicles and caused a major crash between a passenger car and an 18-wheeler, police said. The pursuit ended with Wingwood crashing his vehicle, shortly after he was taken into custody by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment before being arraigned.

On Tuesday, detectives with APD Missing Persons traveled to Louisiana to interview Wingwood. During the interview, Wingwood provided information that led Missing Persons and Homicide detectives to the Roadway Inn, located at 1601 E. Hwy 290 in Austin where the deceased body of a Hispanic female was located with obvious trauma.

"We tentatively believe this is the body of San Juana Macias. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy on July 10, 2019 to determine the official cause and manner of death."

In the meantime, police ask anyone with information about the case to call Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or text "Tip 103" + a message to CRIMES or use the new Crime Stoppers App or email APD Homicide at homicide.apd@austintexas.gov. Those with tips can remain anonymous, police assured. Tipsters also can provide information by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, free on iPhone and Android.