CLEVELAND, TN — A man accused in the death of a Cleveland woman has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Dayren Lopez Roque entered the plea on Oct. 9, 2026, in connection with the killing of Dayana Garcia Cuba, whose body was found inside a Northcrest Circle home after a missing-person call in 2024.

Police said the case began when officers responded to the residence on Sept. 8, 2024, and later obtained a search warrant. During that search, investigators found Garcia Cuba dead inside the home. Cleveland police determined the death was domestic-related and handled it as a homicide investigation.

Missing-person call led officers to a homicide investigation

Cleveland police were first sent to 315 Northcrest Circle after a report of a missing person. What began as a welfare-style response quickly escalated once investigators entered the residence and searched the property under warrant.

Authorities said the missing woman was identified as Garcia Cuba, age 25. After finding her body, investigators shifted their focus to determining what happened in the home and who was responsible.

Police have said the incident was domestic-related, but they did not provide additional public details about the relationship between the victim and Roque or the events that led to her death.

How investigators tracked Roque out of state

According to Cleveland police, investigators identified Roque in less than 24 hours by using investigative work and technology. A major part of that effort involved License Plate Reader technology, which helped narrow down his location.

Using information gathered during the investigation, the department’s Intelligence Unit alerted authorities in Texas. By about 8 p.m., Roque had been located in Zavala County, Texas, about 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Texas authorities later found and apprehended him at a Dollar Store in Zavala County. Police said the arrest happened after the tip from Tennessee helped direct officers to the area.

Extradition brought the case back to Tennessee

After his arrest in Texas, Roque was extradited to Tennessee to face charges tied to Garcia Cuba’s death. The guilty plea and sentence now bring the criminal case to a close in court.

Roque, who police described as 41 years old, received a 25-year sentence to be served at 100 percent. That means he is expected to serve the full term before being eligible for release under the sentence imposed.

The Cleveland Police Department also confirmed that neither Roque nor Garcia Cuba are legal U.S. citizens. Officials did not say that status played any role in the investigation or the court outcome.

The victim's death shook a local neighborhood

Garcia Cuba was 25 years old when she was found dead inside the Cleveland home. Her death turned a missing-person call into a homicide case that drew help from investigators, intelligence officers and outside law enforcement in Texas.

The case also highlights how quickly police work moved once the search warrant was executed. Within a day, investigators said they had identified a suspect and were working with another state to locate him.

For Cleveland police, the case ended with a guilty plea rather than a trial. The sentence means Roque will spend decades in prison for the killing.

What the guilty plea means for the homicide case

By pleading guilty to second-degree murder, Roque accepted responsibility in court for Garcia Cuba’s death without forcing prosecutors to prove the case at trial. The plea resolution also avoided a potentially longer court process in Bradley County.

Second-degree murder charges in Tennessee are serious felony accusations that can carry lengthy prison terms. In this case, the judge imposed the maximum practical outcome described in the plea: 25 years served at full percentage.

Cleveland police have not publicly detailed additional evidence beyond the search warrant, the discovery of the body, the use of License Plate Reader technology and the out-of-state arrest. Those facts now form the backbone of a case that moved from a missing-person complaint to a murder conviction.

Technology and cooperation helped close the case fast

Investigators credited technology and coordination with speeding up the arrest. Police said the License Plate Reader system was significant in finding Roque, while the department’s Intelligence Unit relayed information to Texas authorities.

That cooperation paid off quickly. Roque was located the same evening investigators identified his likely whereabouts, and Texas officers made the arrest in Zavala County soon after.

The case shows how local police can use digital tools and interstate coordination to track a suspect far from the original crime scene. In this instance, the search ended with a guilty plea more than two years later and a prison term that will keep Roque incarcerated for 25 years.