Dallas girl, 17, charged with murder hours after an AMBER alert was issued for her

Natalie Navarro briefly went missing before she was charged with killing Arturo Pena, 21, on Friday, September 1

Published on: Sep 3, 2023, 10:16:11 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A Dallas girl, 17, has been charged with murder hours after an AMBER alert was raised for her.17-year-old Natalie Navarro briefly went missing before she was charged with killing Arturo Pena, 21, on Friday, September 1. Natalie was arrested three days after Arturo was found shot to death inside a car in Garland, Texas. Police are also looking for 21-year-old Yordy Martinez in connection with the shooting.

Natalie Navarro was charged with murder (Navarro County Office of Emergency Management)

At the time the AMBER alert was issued, Yordy was listed as a suspect in Natalie’s disappearance. Police received information that Natalie had disappeared under “suspicious circumstances” from an apartment complex in east Dallas at around 1:30am, according to the Daily Mail.

Natalie and Yordy had warrants for their arrest in connection with Arturo’s murder at the time the AMBER alert was issued. It is feared that Yordy may have fled across the US-Mexico border. Yordy is believed to have escaped in a dark gray, four-door vehicle.

What was the motive for the murder?

Garland Police have yet to provide more details on what led to Arturo’s murder and Natalie’s arrest. Police have said they are “trying to figure out exactly” how the three people involved – Natalie, Arturo and Yordy – knew each other.

Yordy Martinez, 21, is at large (Navarro County Office of Emergency Management)

Natalie was located and arrested by police within just an hour after an AMBER alert was issued for her. Police then subsequently said she was “safe and in custody.”

Police have said that Yordi, who is at large, has a rap sheet including a felony indictment for allegedly shooting a gun last year in November into a house in Garland. He has been described as having a missing tooth.

“There’s a lot of stuff going out, we’ve collected a lot of evidence, so we’re trying to process everything right now,” Lt. Richard Maldonado of the Garland Police Department said. He added that investigators have “yet to totally determine” a motive.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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