Texas Mother Arrested After Nearly 30 Years on the Run

Authorities from the U.S. and Mexico, aided by Time magazine, have apprehended a Texas mother who has been evading capture for nearly three decades following charges of killing her 3-year-old daughter in the 1990s.

Maria Nares, now 48 years old, was initially taken into custody in Mexico in November 1996 on charges of fatally harming her daughter, Cassandra White. Allegedly, she shook, punched, and threw the child against a wall in their home in Fort Worth.

At that time, Nares was a teenage mother. Reports indicate that a Tarrant County grand jury indicted her on charges of capital murder in 1997.

However, things took a turn when Nares failed to appear in court later that year after a judge lowered her bail to $25,000. After her bail was forfeited, a warrant was issued for her arrest in late 1997. It seems she left the country shortly thereafter, remaining a fugitive for almost 30 years.

The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office stated that Nares was indicted for capital murder again in 1999, well after she fled the country. Their statement emphasized their commitment to pursuing justice for her daughter.

What Nares has been doing all these years remains unclear. Back in 1996, she was a 19-year-old grocery store clerk who reportedly lost her temper when Cassandra refused to go to bed. Allegations say that, in a fit of rage, Nares threw the child against the wall.

According to police reports, Nares told officers she had been feeling depressed and stressed that night. After telling Cassandra it was bedtime and encountering resistance, she became enraged, picked her daughter up, and threw her into the wall, causing a fatal injury.

On November 13, 1996, Nares took her unconscious daughter to the hospital, but unfortunately, Cassandra died three days later.

Nares is set to be extradited from Mexico to face capital murder charges in Tarrant County. The county attorney’s office expressed gratitude to various agencies, including Interpol and the U.S. Marshals Service, for their roles in her capture.

They noted the relentless efforts that ensured this case, along with the pursuit of justice for Cassandra, would not be forgotten.