Man charged in wife's murder

Jesus Maqueira charged in wife Raquel Calderin's murder

MIAMI – The husband of a woman last seen in September is charged in her death even though her body has never been found.

Jesus Maqueira was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated stalking. A judge ruled Saturday that he'd be held on no bond.

Raquel Calderin was last seen Sept. 4, 2012, after leaving Gloria Floyd Elementary School, where she worked as a custodian.

Cell phone records show Maquiera was near the school at the time his wife disappeared, say police. Calderin was on the phone shortly after leaving work when the call dropped.

The two lived with their children in southwest Miami-Dade County.

Ana Villabos said her friend Calderin made an odd request a week before she disappeared.

"She said, 'Don't pray for me. Pray for the kid, please,'" said Villabos.

"Did you ask why?" asked Local 10's Roger Lohse.

"She didn't want to talk more," answered Villabos.

Neighbor Janet Pineda considered Maquiera's behavior curious after he reported his wife missing.

"I didn't see him on the news looking for her or putting up signs, asking the neighbors or me where she is," she said. "That to me was kind of weird."

Police say Maquiera was angry because his wife wanted a divorce, adding that their 20-year marriage was plagued by violence.

Authorities claim Maquiera stalked Calderin after she left him and at one point put a GPS tracking device on her car.

In court Saturday, defense attorney Adrian Nunez pointed out that police are missing a body.

"There's no body in this case. There's no indication of the manner or cause or time of death. It's basically just a theory from the police," said Nunez.

But it's a theory that police said Maquiera confessed to under interrogation when they brought him in for questioning on Friday. According to the arrest affidavit, he said: "Look I killed her so take me to jail."

"What he didn't say is anything about the body," said Miami-Dade Police Det. Alvaro Zabaleta.

Police are now hoping Maquiera's arrest will entice someone to come forward with information on where they might find Calderin's body. 

Neighbors are doing exactly what Raquel asked before she went missing -- praying for her children.

"How's the father going to kill the wife and now leave the kids without a father and a mother? That's terrible," said Pineda.

The couple's children are being cared for by relatives.