On January 16th, at around 10 A.M., the body of a teenaged girl was discovered underneath a blanket near a creek in Dallas, Texas. The victim, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was identified as 16-year-old Venus Rodriguez, CBS News reports.
When police interviewed the family of Rodriguez, it was discovered that the victim had run away with her boyfriend at the age of 15 last year, when her family disapproved of her then 21-year-old boyfriend, Arturo Flores. While investigating, officers recognized a the blanket used to cover Rodriguez’ body in a photo of Flores’ dog.
According to Dallas Morning News, witnesses say they saw Flores chase Rodriguez down their street and assault her, just weeks before her murder. Neighbors often heard the two yelling and fighting. In an affidavit, Dallas Police Department stated that Flores “showed no emotion and seemed indifferent” about his girlfriend’s murder. While the suspect was being interviewed, neighbors spotted his family members removing and replacing his mattress. Investigators were still able to find evidence of blood in the carpet under the bed, despite Flores’ family efforts.
On January 21st, Flores was arrested and charged with first degree murder. The now 22-year-old is being held at the Dallas County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
