By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Oct. 20, 2021: The family of murdered Caribbean American teen Miya Marcano has slapped a lawsuit on Arden Villas, the apartment complex where she lived, worked and likely died.
The suit accuses Arden Villas and its operator, The Preiss Company, of negligence in Marcano’s death for employing Armando Caballero, a 27-year-old maintenance worker who officials have said is responsible for her killing after making unwanted advances toward Marcano.
The family is pursing the lawsuit in Orange County circuit court to “hold those responsible for the disappearance and death of Miya fully responsible” and prevent other families from “experiencing the pain and grief with which they are currently dealing,” according to the statement from Jodi Lewis, a spokesperson for the family’s attorney Daryl K. Washington.
“Arden Villas gave Armando Caballero the unfettered access he needed to kill Miya,” Washington said in a statement. “They need to be held accountable for their negligence.”
The complaint also names Caballero’s estate. He was found dead by suicide days before Marcano’s body was discovered on Oct. 1st, days after she went missing on Sept. 24, 2021.
The complaint is seeking a jury trial and damages in excess of $30,000. Neither Arden Villas nor The Preiss Company immediately responded to a request for comment.
Marcano was laid to rest on October 14th at a funeral in Cooper City, Florida that included musical tributes from soca stars Lyrikal and Skinny Fabulous.
Marcano missed a Sept. 24th flight from Orlando to visit her family in South Florida and her family asked the Sheriff’s Office to check on her at the Arden Villas apartments near UCF, where she lived and worked.
During that welfare check, the deputy found Marcano’s bedroom door was blocked from opening by a dresser, which meant a roommate had to enter Marcano’s room from a back window, the statement said, adding that a responding deputy “noticed the window had been tampered with.”
Her body was bound with black duct tape across her mouth and tape also tying her hands and feet together on October 2nd. She was found wearing jeans and a bra, as well as a robe and her purse was found nearby containing the shirt she was last seen wearing. Her cause of death has not yet been determined.
Orlando Police have said Caballero, a maintenance employee at the Arden Villas complex where Marcano worked and lived, was waiting for her inside her apartment Sept. 24, before he killed her and dumped her body at another Orlando area apartment complex.
Born April 26, 2002, in Pembroke Pines to parents Yma Scarbriel and father Marlon Marcano, Miya grew up in both South Florida and the British Virgin Islands. Marlon Marcano, known professionally as DJ Eternal Vibes, is a Trinidad-born DJ in South Florida. She graduated from Flanagan Senior High in 2020 and headed to the University of Central Florida, according to her cousin Cailie Sue.
After a few semesters, she transferred to Valencia college, where she was studying sports medicine. “From early on Miya became a Jane of all trades,” Sue said. “After taking an interest in modeling, pageantry, cheerleading, dancing, horseback riding and so much more. Miya excelled in everything she set her mind to do.”
