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Case Description
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Maria Theresa Santos, a 44-year-old woman of Filipino descent, was last seen on October 15, 2004, in Los Angeles, California. She was seen at approximately 6:00 a.m. leaving her residence in the 900 block of South Serrano Avenue to take a bus to her job in Beverly Hills. At the time, she and her young daughter had been temporarily staying with her boyfriend. Described as a devoted and responsible mother, her family stated that it was uncharacteristic of her to leave without any warning or contac ...Read More
Last Seen: Oct 15, 2004
Links to Additional Sources (6)
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Victim Details

Jan 24, 2026

Jan 24, 2026

Maria

Theresa Santos

44

44

5'3 inches

115 lbs

Asian

Female

Santos was last seen leaving home en route to work in Los Angeles, California at 6:00 a.m. on October 15, 2004. She never arrived and has never been heard from again. She left behind a young daughter and is described as a devoted mother and responsible woman who would not have left without warning. In May 2010, Aurangzeb Aiyoob "Simon" Manjra was charged with killing Santos and another woman, Esperanza Torio, who disappeared in 1996. Her body was found dumped on a roadside in Mexico a few days later, but it wasn't identified until 2009. Santos's body has never been recovered. A photo of Manjra is posted with this case summary. He is an immigrant from Pakistan who worked as a salesman, and had dated both women at the time each one disappeared. Manjra reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in December 2013; he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Torio's case and second-degree murder in Santos's, in exchange of a maximum of sentence of 25 years to life in prison. If he'd been convicted on the original charges he would have faced life without parole. Foul play is suspected in Santos's disappearance due to the circumstances involved.

Oct 15, 2004

Los Angeles

California

Los Angeles

7

Los Angeles Police Departmen

213-896-1800

01/25/2026