More than ten years after a woman in Texas was discovered stabbed almost one hundred times in her apartment, a local real estate agent is now facing capital murder charges and is currently being held without bond.
Mayra Velazquez, 42, was taken into custody on July 17 by the Tarrant County Correctional Center on suspicions related to the death of Iracema Chavez, who was 32. This information comes from both the Arlington Police Department and county jail records.
Chavez’s body was found on January 20, 2012, on the second level of an apartment on South Collins Street. Investigators noted there were no evident signs of forced entry, suggesting that Chavez may have known her assailant or willingly opened the door.
Surveillance video from the night before Chavez’s death captured a figure dressed in baggy clothing and a hoodie approaching her apartment. This person knocked and seemed to have a brief conversation at the door before being let in.
Initially, authorities hoped the footage would aid in identifying the individual. However, the murky images didn’t lead to any significant breakthroughs in the investigation, and the case, unfortunately, went cold for several years.
Investigators later found blood at the scene that did not belong to Chavez. In 2016, a partnership was formed between Arlington police and Parabon Nanolab from Virginia, which specializes in DNA analysis. They utilized DNA phenotyping to project what the suspect might look like—like, possibly having long brown hair or Latin descent. Still, no concrete suspect was identified.
Fast forward to November 2024, Arlington police presented the case to the FBI’s Dallas field office, asking for assistance from their genetic genealogy program. This collaboration led to a significant lead earlier this year.
Following this, authorities gathered more evidence and secured a warrant for Velazquez’s arrest. However, details remain sparse regarding what specific proof was linked to the genealogy findings, whether DNA from Velazquez was analyzed directly, or if she had any connection to Chavez.
Velazquez had a history as a real estate agent in the area, maintaining her license with Pure Realtors LLC as of recently. State records still reflect her active status. While Velazquez’s social media portray her traveling the world with friends and family—like trips to Peru, Mexico, and Europe—she’s now facing grave accusations.
Tarrant County’s inmate database officially charges her with “Capitol Murder with Terrorist Threat/Other Felony.” Both Arlington Police and the FBI are set to hold a press conference on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. CST to discuss the arrest, and attempts to reach out to Velazquez’s attorney for a statement are ongoing.
