Overview
- Arlington police arrested Mayra Velasquez on July 16 and charged her with capital murder in the 2012 killing of Irasema Chavez, and she is being held in Tarrant County pending court action.
- Chavez was found in her apartment with about 100 stab wounds, and investigators say there were no clear signs of forced entry.
- Investigators previously tested a single drop of female blood from a nightstand and in 2016 paid for a DNA-based predictive composite that resembled the eventual suspect.
- The Arlington homicide unit began working with the FBI Dallas Field Office on investigative genetic genealogy in November 2024, and IGG produced a significant lead in early 2026 that detectives developed into an arrest.
- Authorities recovered surveillance video showing a person entering the building and noted only a large flat‑screen TV was missing; officials will hold a joint Arlington police and FBI briefing this week and media reports conflict on whether bond was set or denied.