Arlington police have made an arrest in the murder of a local real estate agent named Irasema Chavez, who was brutally stabbed back in 2012 when she was just 26 years old in what was considered one of the longest unsolved homicides in Arlington, Texas.
According to sources close to the investigation, Mayra Velasquez, 42 years old, an Arlington realtor, is facing capital murder charges following the murder case, police said. It appears that jail records show that Velasquez is currently detained at the Tarrant County Jail.
According to reports, Chavez died in her apartment in the Aspen Wood Apartments complex, at the 1600 block of South Collins Street in January 2012. Chavez was stabbed more than 100 times.
Since the death of Chavez more than 14 years ago, police detectives have worked diligently through the years searching for clues and investigating the evidence and even utilizing advanced forensic technology.
During the initial investigation, police detectives had collected enough DNA evidence, but unfortunately, they could not find any match to a suspect in the available law enforcement database, sources close to the investigation revealed.
In late 2024, the department partnered with the FBI’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Program to conduct more forensic analysis.
As a result of the analysis, the investigators discovered a new lead in early 2026, allowing them to focus on the case and collect more evidence. This resulted in the police filing an arrest warrant for Velasquez.
While investigators have not released the exact evidence from the arrest, the charge remains an allegation until proven in court.
It is reported that the Arlington Police Department and the FBI are scheduled to release more information about the case at a press briefing at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, via an email to Arlington Urban Media & Entertainment and local media.
