Mansfield police find woman's body in trunk; Texas man arrested

Courtney McNaull
Mansfield News Journal
Dequalan Dejaun Harris

MANSFIELD - Mansfield police found a woman's body in the trunk of a vehicle on Woodridge Drive early Saturday and arrested a man in connection with the case. 

The department was contacted at 12:13 a.m. Saturday by the Cedar Hill Police Department in Texas and asked to check a residence for a female who had been reported missing from Cedar Hill, according to a news release from the Mansfield Police Department.

Mansfield officers found the missing woman’s vehicle parked in front of 424 Woodridge Drive. There, they spoke with a Cedar Hill man named Dequalan Dejaun Harris, who told officers he had not seen the missing woman since Thursday, when he picked up a child at her residence in Texas.

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When police told Harris that Cedar Hill police wanted him detained, a struggle ensued as Harris fought with officers and attempted to run away. Harris was caught after a short foot pursuit, during which a taser was deployed.

Officers opened the trunk of the vehicle and found a dead woman. The Richland County coroner, Richland County Prosecutor's Office and the Mansfield Police Crime Lab all responded to the scene.

The Richland County Coroner's Office took the body, which has yet to be positively identified and is pending an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Harris was charged with obstructing official business, resisting arrest and abuse of a corpse.

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This case remains under investigation in collaboration with the Cedar Hill Police Department, and police say additional information will be released as it becomes available.

 Anyone with information is asked to contact Major Crimes Sgt.Matt Loughman at 419-755-9761 or Detective David Scheurer at 419-755-9748.