Maria Narez, a Texas woman accused of killing her 3-year-old daughter in 1996, has been arrested in Mexico after nearly 30 years on the run, authorities announced. Narez, now 48, was indicted by a grand jury in 1997 but fled after a judge lowered her bond to $25,000, according to court documents reviewed by Fox 4.
Details of the 1996 Incident
In November 1996, Narez, then a 19-year-old grocery store clerk, allegedly shook, beat, and threw her daughter Kasandra White against a wall in their Fort Worth home. The child had refused to go to bed, and Narez told investigators she was feeling depressed and stressed when she snapped.
Fort Worth Police Department Sergeant Fred Pendergraf told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at the time: "It angered her. She picked the baby up by the chest under her arms, threw her against the wall and her head struck the door edge." The toddler complained of being hurt but went to bed. Narez later took her daughter to the hospital, where the child lost consciousness and eventually died.
Arrest and Extradition
After the warrant was issued in 1997, Narez fled across the border and hid in Mexico for nearly 29 years. The Tarrant County District Attorney's office said in a statement: "The DA's office never gave up on bringing Narez back to face the charge against her and answer for the death of her daughter."
Additional details about where she was arrested and what she had been doing for the last 29 years were not immediately available. Narez is due to be extradited to Tarrant County to face capital murder charges.
Collaboration in Capture
The DA's office thanked Mexico Interpol, the U.S. Marshals Mexico Foreign Field Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Justice-Office of International Affairs, DA Investigators Tiffany Johnson and Victor Espino-Nevarez, and Assistant DA Steven Elliott for their work in capturing Narez. The case highlights the long-term efforts of law enforcement to bring fugitives to justice, and Narez now awaits extradition proceedings.
