By NC WANTED Staff

Posted: May 11, 2009
Updated: May 11, 2009

WAKE COUNTY — When Maria Herrera-Diaz's family found her lifeless body in her bedroom on the morning of September 6, 2008, her live-in boyfriend, Arnulfo Cobos, was nowhere to be found. Missing, too, was a car belonging to the owner of the house where they all lived.

Within 24 hours of arriving on the scene, Cary police officers determined that the death was a homicide and that they believed Cobos, 45, was responsible. According to the autopsy report, Maria was strangled to death.

Investigators immediately began tracking Cobos, who had taken Maria's cell phone with him. They were able to get a signal from the phone that placed Cobos traveling south on US-1 near Sanford. Then the trail went cold.

Authorities believed he had some friends or relatives in South Carolina. and he may have been heading there.

Almost two months later, the 2004 Saturn that was stolen from the home turned up in Anson County, near the South Carolina border. It was parked on a desolate street near the back entrance of a landfill. There are a few scattered homes on the block and police believe the area is predominantly Hispanic.

Leaves and wildlife had taken over the car, and investigators believe it had been there about two months, since shortly after Maria's death.

"We’re not 100 percent sure of how the car ended up there, if he met somebody there, if he knew somebody in that area, if in fact he was heading to South Carolina," said Detective Jim Young with the Cary Police Department. "We’ve never been able to put his head at a residence in South Carolina or even verify that he’s got friends in South Carolina."

The car was the last lead in the search for Cobos, but police have received information that he may be in South Carolina or Texas.

Cobos has no criminal record in the United States, and police are currently working to verify a tip that he may have served time in prison in Mexico.

Unfortunately, Maria's family, who has been very cooperative in the investigation, knows very little about Cobos, or where he may be headed. Although the couple had been together a few years, they had only been in the United States a short time, and Cobos only seemed to know people through Maria.

"We haven't been able to find any roots that he had, so we haven't been able to get to any of his relatives or his friends," Det. Young said. Police are looking for anyone who knew Cobos to come forward and help fill in these gaps in information.

Maria's family told police they never saw Cobos be violent toward Maria, but they argued a lot and the family had suspected he was violent. The night before she was found dead, Cobos had confronted Maria with some jealousy issues and an argument ensued.

Police are hoping to speak to anyone who has been contacted by Cobos since September, or anyone who has come across him at all, whether he was looking for work or looking for a place to stay. They need to gather as much information as possible about Cobos so they can find him and bring him to justice. They believe he may be hiding out in Anson County, South Carolina, or Texas, or he may have returned to Mexico.

Police are also seeking information from anyone that has not already come forward who knew the couple, interacted with them or may have witnessed any arguments between them.

Cobos is described as an Hispanic man, standing 5 feet 6 to 7 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds. In a picture distributed by police, he has a mustache, and police said he may also have a goatee.

If you have any information about Arnulfo Cobos, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.