SAN ANTONIO – The husband of a missing San Antonio woman is behind bars after authorities arrested him Sunday afternoon in connection with his wife's recent disappearance.
- Andreen McDonald reported missing on March 1
- Husband refused to speak to police, requested lawyer
- Surveillance followed him to a gun shop
According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, Andre McDonald, an Air Force major, is facing one charge of tampering with evidence. His wife, Andreen McDonald, was reported missing March 1.
READ MORE | Woman Missing Under Suspicious Circumstances, Police Say
"We ran a second search warrant at [the couple's] house [Saturday night]. Once we made entry to the house we found some things that were really quite disturbing," Salazar said.
Salazar said the evidence consisted of a shovel, axe, trash bags, work gloves, two five-gallon jugs of gasoline and a portable burn barrel. He said these findings lead authorities to believe that these were implements that were going to be used to dispose of a body.
"This drives home the point for us that we believe that Andreen McDonald is no longer living."
The sheriff said authorities found a receipt indicating the items were purchased Saturday morning. He said it appeared Andre McDonald attempted to destroy the receipt to make it tougher on investigators to find out when or where he purchased the items.
Salazar said authorities obtained a warrant for arrest for the 40-year-old suspect. At last check, McDonald's bond has not been posted, but Salazar said if the suspect is able to make bond he will place him on house arrest with GPS monitoring.
"At this point our investigation is consisted of literally scouring creek beds and drainage ditches and ravines with cadaver dogs looking for Mrs. McDonald," Salazar said.
Andre McDonald's arrest comes after he was detained on Saturday. Salazar said authorities followed him to a gun shop where he had purchased a firearm and ammunition. However, he said Andre McDonald left the store in a hurry leaving the gun and his ID behind. When he returned home, deputies detained him for mental health concerns.
"I think one of the most heartbreaking aspects of this case is that at the center of this is a little girl. She is 6 years old. She just lost two parents," Salazar said.
Salazar said they are planning on interviewing their daughter at some point, but that they have to go about it carefully for several reasons including that fact she is autistic and mainly nonverbal. He said it is pretty evident that she saw something happen to her mother before her disappearance.