Arrest made in death of Georgia teacher found in car in Mexico

A man has been arrested in the death of a Georgia teacher who was found dead while vacationing in Mexico.

Alexandra Morales, who was in the country to visit family and attend a concert, was discovered dead in a car in Jalisco state on Tuesday, Mexican officials said Thursday.

A man was arrested in connection to the death of the 24-year-old woman, the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office said. Mexican officials did not provide further details about the suspect or a possible cause of death.

Ostín Cuenca, Morales’ uncle, told Telemundo Atlanta that the person arrested was his niece’s boyfriend. Cuenca called Morales an “angel” and asked U.S. authorities to ensure her death was fully investigated.

Her family said they had last heard from Morales on Oct. 30, NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta reported, and Mexican officials said they learned she had been reported missing on Nov. 5.

Morales’ family said in a tribute posted on a GoFundMe account that the woman known as “Alexa” was “adored by her parents and loved by her two brothers.”

“She had a passion for adventure and traveling around the world was her joy,” they wrote on the site. “She was the most caring teacher to all of her students and her first-grade babies will miss her dearly. She was a loyal friend to many and a proud Hermana of our sorority, Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc.”

Morales had been a first-grade teacher in Gwinnett County since 2019. In a Wednesday letter to Benefield Elementary School families and staff, principal Shonda Gipson-Stevens said that the educator had “touched so many lives — both students and staff” and would be greatly missed.

Destiny Porter told WXIA that Morales had been her 9-year-old son’s teacher.

“It’s never easy finding out that somebody in your school community has passed away, especially if they were a part of your children’s lives,” Porter said.