A teenager is facing capital offense and possible deportation after being charged with the murder of his 5-year-old cousin.

Angel Lizandro Sanches-Zenteno, 17, was arrested by Dallas police on Monday, a day after the authorities recovered the body of Katharina Gonzalez at a Lake Highlands apartment.

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Sanches-Zenteno was accused of strangling the little girl to death and leaving her body at the empty apartment complex.

Police authorities have yet to disclose the possible motive for the crime, but according to police Major Rob Sherwin, the investigations revealed a strong probable cause to believe that the teenager was responsible for the little girl's death.

Investigations revealed that Katharina did not live in the apartment block near where her body was found, but stayed there with relatives while her parents were at work.

The little girl was reported missing on Sunday at around 11:30 a.m. after last being seen playing with her sisters outside the apartment.

At the time of the disappearance, a neighbor, Freddie Washington, claimed to have seen Katharina with Sanches-Zenteno near the Lake Highlands apartment complex.

According to Washington, the little girl was wearing a pink and brown dress and had a Rottweiler puppy with her. When he asked Sanches-Zenteno about the girl, the boy answered she was his cousin.

During the investigation, Washington told authorities that he was outside his home when the little girl's relatives were out searching for her.

Washington claimed to have spotted Sanches-Zenteno again after the police began searching. He stated that the teen was already wearing a different shirt than the one he had been wearing when he was with the little girl.

Two other witnesses put Sanches-Zenteno on the scene of the crime on Sunday, when Katharina went missing.

Police booked Sanches-Zenteno into the Dallas County Jail after hours of interviews, which ended at around 3 a.m.

Tagsteen kills cousin, girl murdered, Dallas, lake highlands