A 49-year-old Galena Park man who was reported missing earlier this week was found dead in the trunk of his car in a Pasadena apartment complex parking lot Saturday morning, authorities said.
Officers discovered the body of Salvador Rojas in the trunk of his silver 2000 Volkswagen Jetta shortly before 11 a.m . in the 4300 block of Shaver after a resident in the apartment complex reported a foul smell coming from the car, said Assistant Pasadena Police Chief Bud Corbett, adding that Rojas' hands were bound together at the wrists.
While questioning residents at the apartment complex, detectives learned that Rojas' car may have been seen in the parking lot on Wednesday night, which is the last time anyone heard from the man, Corbett said.
Decomposition of the body made it difficult to determine any injuries. An exact cause of death will be determined by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office, Corbett said.
Rojas, who owns a small boot business at a southeast Houston flea market, was last heard from about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday when he called friends to say he had a flat tire and was running late to meet them, said FBI spokeswoman Pat Villafranca.
By midnight, Rojas had not returned to his home in the 12300 block of Kayla. His wife became worried and began calling his cell phone, but got no answer.
When the call was returned, Rojas' wife told investigators she heard strangers' voices on the line.
``She said 'Who are you? Where is my husband?' And they didn't say a word,'' Villafranca said. ``They just hung up.''
When the woman tried to call back, the phone had been turned off. Rojas wife immediately called Galena Park police, who then later requested the assistance of the FBI, Villafranca said.
During the investigation, Pasadena police detectives learned that Rojas was allegedly involved in a financial scheme loaning money to Hispanic immigrants for outrageous fees and interests, making it difficult for people to ever repay the loan, Corbett said.
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