A 17-year-old Texas teenager, previously believed to have been abducted, has been found and is now facing murder charges alongside a 21-year-old man who is still at large.
The Garland Police Department (GPD) has linked the two to the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Arturo Pena.
Early Friday, September 1, the Dallas Police Department issued an AMBER Alert for Natalie Navarro, 17, after she went missing from an apartment in east Dallas. At the time of the AMBER Alert, Navarro was already under suspicion for Pena’s murder. She was located safely in Webb County within an hour, according to reports.
While Navarro is currently in police custody, she hasn’t been officially charged, Lt. Richard Maldonado of the GPD confirmed.
Given the severity of the crimes she’s linked to, she will be treated as an adult in legal proceedings. Yordy Martinez, 21, initially suspected of Navarro’s abduction, remains at large and is also a suspect in Pena’s murder.
Authorities are urging the public to be cautious, as Martinez, last seen possibly driving a gray, four-door vehicle, is considered armed and dangerous. A distinguishing feature of his is a missing front tooth. Records show that Martinez has a history of criminal engagements, including a felony indictment for firing a gun inside a home last year.
The murder victim, Pena from Mesquite, Texas was discovered with a gunshot injury in a car at Audubon Park on the morning of Tuesday, August 29. Just two days prior, his family had reported him missing to the Dallas Police Department. The exact nature of Pena’s relationship with Navarro and Martinez remains unclear. “We hope to unravel the motive and the relationships among the trio upon further interrogating Navarro,” Lt. Maldonado commented.
Pena’s wife, Veronica Lopez, has created a GoFundMe campaign to support the family. By Sunday morning, donations had already surpassed $2,600, with a goal set at $25,000.
