Accused murderer of pregnant teenager stands before judge in crowded courtroom

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. (Court TV) – The 20-year-old man accused of killing the pregnant teenage mother of his unborn child appeared before a judge for the first time since his July 17 arrest in front of a packed room.

Jesus Monroy sits next to his attorney Brandon Delfunt during a probation hearing for the 20-year-old charged in the deaths of 16-year-old Mia Campos and her unborn son in Georgia Magistrate Court in Gwinnett County on Friday, August 23, 2024. (Court TV)

Jesus Monroy, 20, is accused of premeditated murder, intentional homicide, feticide and aggravated assault in connection with the death of Mia Campos. Mia, 16, was seven months pregnant with her unborn son Sebastian when she was lured to the entrance of her neighborhood and suffocated, according to police.

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Three days before his arrest, Edward Campos, Monroy and Mia's father, used a cell phone tracking app to find her lifeless body in a wooded area less than half a mile from the Campos' home in Loganville, Georgia.

At the preliminary hearing on August 23, Mia's family sat in a packed room in Georgia District Court as Judge Kristine Blum heard the evidence to decide whether there was enough probable cause to keep the defendant in custody.

Detective Arriaza of the Gwinnett County Police Department's homicide unit said police used data from Monroy's phone to locate him in the same area and time period that they believe Mia was killed on July 14, between 10:19 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Photos provided by Mia Campos' family show the happy pregnant teenager. Photos taken shortly before her murder in July 2024. (Campos family via Court TV)

In addition, the officer added that Monroy, who initially told police he had no contact with Mia on the day she disappeared, found deleted text messages on Monroy and Mia's phones.

Monroy's public defender, Brandon Delfunt, politely questioned the officer about the evidence Gwinnett County police had collected, pointing out that other than cell phone records and testimony from Mia's family and friends, there was little evidence that his client was actually with her the night she was killed.

Prosecutor Katie Loraine Fite-Magyar further argued that the evidence showed that Monroy lured Mia out of the neighborhood where he knew there were no cameras, forced her to delete the text messages about their meeting, and then pretended to be looking for her and sent her messages as if he didn't know where she was.

Despite a lengthy cross-examination, the judge ruled that there was enough evidence based on GPS coordinates and text messages about the meeting to proceed with the trial and keep Monroy in custody. Another bail hearing had already been scheduled for August 28.