An Amber Alert was issued in an effort to locate a Texas adolescent who went missing. She was taken into custody a few hours later, and authorities say she has now been accused of murder.
Arturo Pena’s mother reported him missing on August 27. She reported to police that her son, 21, left the house to “meet with a girl” and never returned.
Pena’s body was discovered inside a car in Audubon Park in Garland, Texas, two days later. According to the police, the victim was shot and died.
Another young person from the area vanished on September 1. Natalie Navarro, 17, was reported missing by her parents, and the Dallas Police Department responded with an AMBER Alert.
Later that day, agents with the Texas Department of Public Safety discovered Navarro in Webb County close to the Mexican border.
Navarro and her 21-year-old boyfriend Yordy Martinez were suspected by the authorities at the time of Pena’s death. For Martinez and Navarro, the police got warrants. The day Navarro was discovered, she was taken into custody.
Authorities say Martinez may have escaped into Mexico and is currently at large. The culprit is still being sought for by law enforcement.
Two weeks prior to the fatal shooting, Navarro allegedly contacted Pena online and made plans with Martinez to rob him, according to detectives with the Garland Police Department. According to the police, after conversing online, Navarro and Pena decided to meet at the park.
As stated by CBS News, “According to Navarro’s indictment record, she was ‘in the course of committing and attempting to commit’ robbery against Pena before he was shot.” Investigators think that Pena was shot by Navarro during the heist.
According to the indictment, Navarro was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury last Tuesday on the charge that she did “intentionally cause the death” of Pena. Online records indicate that Navarro was charged with capital murder.
“She had spoken to Yordy once before online but hadn’t seen him in person the night of the actual murder,” according to reports from Navarro, which were provided by spokesman Richard Maldonado of the Garland Police Department, to authorities.
Investigators seem to have “reason to believe” Navarro may not be telling the truth, though.
In lieu of a $1 million bond, Navarro is being detained at the Dallas County Jail.
