DENTON, Texas - Police believe a Denton man murdered his estranged wife and fled Texas last month, and are asking for the public's help in locating him.
Denton missing woman investigation
Marjulin Daiuru Briceño Arrieta
What we know:
The Denton Police Department says 42-year-old Marjulin Daiuru Briceño Arrieta was reported missing on September 28 by her family.
Around 6:45 p.m. that day, Briceño Arrieta met with her estranged husband, 49-year-old Richard Pastor Perez, at his apartment in the 1900 block of N. Ruddell Road.
Briceño Arrieta's family was unable to reach either person following the meeting, and filed a missing person report the same day based on Perez's past history of abuse against her.
Detectives found Briceño Arrieta's vehicle abandoned near Perez's apartment. Perez's vehicle was missing, and police discovered the license plates on the two cars had been switched.
When police ran the license plate number (XLC1016) through the Flock camera system, they found Perez's vehicle traveling through Wichita Falls around 9 p.m. on September 28, hours after his meeting with Briceño Arrieta.
On September 29, Perez's vehicle was seen traveling through Donley County, south-east of Amarillo, around 1 a.m., and west of Amarillo around 10:44 p.m.
Camera hits on Perez's car
Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico got a license plate hit for Perez on September 30, and a man matching Perez's description was seen exiting and abandoning the vehicle in a hotel parking lot. Perez was seen alone in the footage.
An arrest warrant for murder has been obtained for Perez based on evidence recovered during the investigation. Police have not yet located either Perez or Briceño Arrieta as of Tuesday afternoon.
Dig deeper:
Police describe Perez as 5'5" and around 150 pounds.
What they're saying:
Interim Denton Police Chief Tony Salas says they believe Briceño Arrieta is deceased based on evidence collected, but did not go into detail on what was found at Perez's apartment.
"It's a very, very tough situation to be in. We feel for the family, this is part of our job, of what we do," Salas said during a Tuesday press conference.
"We have a very good relationship with the family. They have expressed to us that they trust the police department and our processes and are being very patient with us as we continue to investigate this case. This is not something that we believe is gonna be solved overnight. It's a very difficult and complicated case."
Denisse Carrera, an advocate for Briceño Arrieta's family, tells FOX 4's Amelia Jones her three children learned this morning from Denton PD that they think their mother is dead.
It’s hard to comfort a child and tell them everything’s going to be okay when all they want is their mom."
Carrera hopes releasing photos of Perez will lead to his capture, and closure for the family.
"Finding him is gonna lead to her, finding her, and these kids need answers, desperately."
What you can do:
Denton Police, along with FBI Dallas, are asking the public's help in locating Perez.
Denton County Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 cash reward for information leading to Perez's arrest. Anonymous tips can be left at 1-800-388-TIPS (8477) or at www.dentoncountycrimestoppers.com.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the Denton Police Department.