UPDATED: Man accused of setting vehicle on fire with girlfriend’s body inside

The woman was found dead in The Colony.

Mark Edwin Guida

THE COLONY — At 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Dallas police responded to a call at 2100 Manana Drive regarding a deceased person who has since been identified as Jerie McCloud, 36, of The Colony.

Dallas firefighters had been dispatched to an incident regarding a vehicle fire; when that fire was extinguished, McCloud's body was found inside the vehicle.

Police began investigating McCloud's death as a homicide and have since arrested Mark Edwin Guida, McCloud's boyfriend, and charged him with capital murder, according to an arrest warrant.

The warrant accuses Guida, 43, of choking McCloud before setting the vehicle on fire with her body inside it. The mother of three was last seen by her children the night before her body was discovered.

According to the arrest affidavit, McCloud and Guida had dated for nearly four years before moving in together about 10 days before she was found dead. The affidavit states Guida moved in with McCloud because of financial difficulties.

The affidavit said other physical evidence was found in the vehicle that implicates Guida in the murder, although no specific information regarding the evidence was released.

Guida is currently being held in Dallas County Jail.

The warrant also states that McCloud's children told police that their mother and Guida had been arguing the night before. When they woke the next morning, McCloud was gone and Guida was preparing them for school, something they said was very unusual. When they arrived home from school on Thursday, Guida told them their mother was at work, also unusual given her Monday, Wednesday, Friday work schedule.

Officers followed up on Guida's claims and found that McCloud had not been in the office that day. It was also found that on the day of the offense, Guida purchased two red one-gallon gas cans and two gallons of gasoline at a RaceTrac in Carrollton.

When detectives asked Guida about his purchase, he refused to answer further questions and requested an attorney.

"Dallas PD executed a search warrant at the victim's house with our agency's assistance," said Darren Brockway, PIO for The Colony PD. "Another search warrant was executed at a residence in Austin Ranch, which appears to be related to the suspect."