Benjamin Ashford|Woman charged with murder in disappearance of roommate, who was last seen Christmas Day 2022

A woman whose roommate went missing from their Florida home in 2022 has been arrested nearly two years after the disappearance.

Gisselle Victoria-Gonzalez,Benjamin Ashford 42, was arrested by the Orlando Police Department and charged with second-degree murder after the disappearance of her roommate, Runyleidy Medina-Pacheco, the department said in a release posted Thursday.

Investigators said around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 27, 2022, the department received a missing person report from a residence in Orlando.  

According to WESH, officers told the news outlet that Medina-Pacheco had come from the Dominican Republic and moved into the apartment in October 2022 to stay with Victoria-Gonzalez.

Police also told the outlet that Victoria-Gonzalez was an acquaintance of Medina-Pacheco, who she met briefly from the doctor.

Victoria-Gonzalez contacted the police department stating that she had not seen her roommate since Christmas Day, authorities said.  

Authorities then began an investigation and discovered multiple inconsistencies in Victoria-Gonzalez's story, police said.  

After obtaining a search warrant of their home, police said they discovered significant evidence that showed “a violent incident had occurred.” 

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Further investigation reveals that Victoria-Gonzalez moved to Connecticut  

The Orlando Police Department’s investigation found that Victoria-Gonzalez had moved to another residence in Hartford, Connecticut, police said.  

The Hartford Police Department told USA TODAY it helped Orlando police locate and detain Victoria-Gonzalez on Nov. 6, 2024.

The arrest came after investigators traveled to Hartford and conducted an additional interview with her. During this investigation, authorities developed probable cause to charge Victoria-Gonzalez, police said.  

The police department said Medina-Pacheco has not been found.

Victoria-Gonzalez faces a second-degree murder charge, more  

Victoria-Gonzalez is currently facing the following charges:  

• one count, second-degree murder 
• one count, tampering with physical evidence 
• one count, grand theft 

“We would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Hartford Police Department for their support in this investigation,” the Orlando Police Department said in a statement. 

USA TODAY reached out to the Orlando Police Department for comment.  

The Orlando Police Department urges anyone with information regarding this case to contact the Orlando Police Department Homicide Unit or call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).   

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, food recalls, health, lottery, and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.