Boyfriend of woman found hanged at League City dock arrested, charged in connection with her death

LEAGUE CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- The boyfriend of a woman who was found hanged from a dock at a League City marina in May has now been arrested and charged with connection to her death.

James Hart, 51, was charged with tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse.

Detectives found Hart on his boat Thursday afternoon and took him into custody without incident from the Wharf Marina in the 700 block of Davis Road.

His recommended bond is $80,000.

League City police believe he is the only suspect in the death of 30-year-old Giselle Salazar-Tapia, a mother of four, who was found dead on May 31.

Salazar-Tapia lived on a boat docked at the marina with Hart.

"I loved Giselle with all my life," Hart told ABC13 at the time.

Lt. Eric Cox told ABC13 the department suspects foul play in her death.

When Salazar-Tapia was found suspended from the dock, one of her arms was unusually extended above her head.

Cox said this led police to believe she died elsewhere and that she was in another position when rigor mortis set in. He said they believe her body was then staged to make it appear as though she committed suicide by hanging herself.

SEE ALSO: Police suspect foul play after mom of 4 found hanged off League City dock

"I would never hurt Giselle," Hart said.

League City PD confirmed officers had been called to the marina several times before Salazar-Tapia's death for domestic disturbances she was involved in.

"We always had to remind her that the people that she called friends or the people that she talked to, that those were not her friends. They did not care for her," Esparanza Alegria, Salazar-Tapia's sister, said.

Alegria told ABC13 she fears her sister's good nature and addictions may have been exploited.

"They saw how she was, they saw that she was a kind person, they saw that she cared so much for everyone, and they took advantage of that," she said. "She wanted to come back to us and be healthy and sober and happy, and she didn't get a chance to do any of that."

A second woman was found dead at the dock on June 19, weeks after the discovery of Salazar-Tapia's body.

Police have not released her identity, and at last check, were waiting on autopsy results, but preliminarily believe her death may have been an overdose.