(NewsNation) — A former Atlanta-area police officer has been arrested in connection to the death of 16-year-old Susana Morales, according to authorities.
According to a Gwinnett County Police Department news release, former Doraville police Officer Miles Bryant, 22, was arrested and charged with concealing the death of another and false report of a crime.
Bryant was fired from the police department after officials were made aware of the charges and is being held at the Gwinnett Detention Center without bond.
Doraville was notified on Feb. 13 “that a now former police officer was being served felony arrest warrants” by Gwinnett County police, according to a statement from the city.
The remains of Susana Morales, a resident of Norcross, were identified by authorities on Feb. 6, six months after she was reported missing on July 26, 2022.
Police said Morales’ naked remains were discovered near a highway by a passerby in a wooded area.
Arrest warrants show Bryant lived near the location where Morales’ lived and originally went missing.
They also detail a false report he gave to police on July 27 that his personal car had been broken into and a gun had been taken from inside.
Investigators still are trying to determine Morales’ manner and cause of death, according to the news release.
According to local reports, Jasmine, Morales’ sister, said the family is angry and saddened to hear a police officer is charged in connection with her death.
“I’m completely shocked. Honestly. I have no words. I didn’t expect it. We didn’t expect it. We didn’t know what to expect but an officer was probably the least on my mind of theories,” Jasmine told Alive11.
Morales’ family said they don’t believe Bryant and the victim knew each other, according to the report.
“Our prayers rest with the family and friends of Susana Morales and everyone else affected by this tragedy,” the city of Doraville said in a statement on social media.