FORT WORTH, Texas - A woman who fled the United States before standing trial for the 1996 death of her 3-year-old daughter has been arrested in Mexico after nearly three decades as a fugitive.
According to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, Maria Narez, 48, was arrested in Mexico on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, on a capital murder indictment that has remained active since 1999.
Indicted in Death of 3-Year-Old Daughter
A Tarrant County grand jury indicted Narez in 1999 on a charge of Capital Murder in connection with the death of her daughter, Kassandra White, who was 3 years old.
According to the indictment, Narez intentionally caused the child's death by shaking her, throwing her into a wall, striking her with an unknown object, and causing her head to strike a door.
Authorities said the fatal abuse occurred in 1996.
Before the case could proceed to trial, Narez fled the country and remained a fugitive for decades.
International Effort Led to Arrest
The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office said it never stopped pursuing the case and credited numerous agencies and investigators for locating and arresting Narez.
Those recognized for their work include:
- Mexico Interpol
- U.S. Marshals Service Mexico Foreign Field Office
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
- Tarrant County District Attorney Investigators Tiffany Johnson and Victor Espino-Nevarez
- Assistant District Attorney Steven Elliott
The District Attorney's Office said the coordinated effort ensured the decades-old case was never forgotten.
"Every Child Matters," the office said.
Narez is expected to face extradition proceedings before being returned to Tarrant County to answer the capital murder charge.
