Father charged with capital murder after stabbing two young sons in Arlington, Texas

A 5-year-old boy is dead and a 2-year-old is hospitalised after their father allegedly stabbed them in their Arlington apartment. Heyco Cruz Linares, 27, faces capital murder charges.

Arlington father jailed after fatally stabbing 5-year-old son, injuring toddler

A 27-year-old man is in custody after allegedly stabbing his two young sons inside their Arlington, Texas apartment on Wednesday night, leaving one child dead and the other fighting for his life, kark.com reports.

The suspect, Heyco Cruz Linares, drew the attention of police not through a 911 call but through a confrontation at a petrol station. At approximately 11:50 p.m., Linares pulled up alongside an officer parked in the 1400 block of N. Cooper Street, stepped out of his vehicle and struck the officer's window with a knife. The officer reversed to a safe distance, activated his overhead lights and ordered Linares to drop the weapon.

"He then re-entered his vehicle and drove away, heading towards I-30," Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said at a news conference Thursday morning. The officer attempted a traffic stop, but Linares led police on a pursuit into neighbouring Grand Prairie, where he was eventually apprehended near Interstate 30 and NW 7th Street.

During his arrest, Linares told officers he had killed his children at their apartment. Officers responded to the Woodwind Apartments in the 1600 block of S. Cooper Street and found two boys with stab wounds. Both were transported to hospital. The elder child — a student enrolled in the Arlington Independent School District — died from his injuries. The 2-year-old was last reported to be in stable condition.

"All murders that we investigate weigh heavy, but this incident is particularly heartbreaking because it involves young children," Chief Jones said. "A 5-year-old boy was killed, a 2-year-old is fighting for his life. Our thoughts are with them and their family. We're working to ensure justice is served in this case."

Linares has been charged with capital murder of a person under the age of 10 and is being held in the Arlington City Jail. Additional charges of evading arrest and making a terroristic threat against a peace officer have also been filed. Police said further charges are pending. No bond has yet been set, and it remains unclear whether Linares has retained legal counsel.

By Thursday evening, a small memorial had formed outside the apartment door where the boys were attacked. Elvy Varela, a neighbour raising her own children at the complex, told reporters she had been obliged to explain to them what had happened to their playmates.

"My son brought a truck because we know the 2-year-old is still battling his wounds," Varela said. Her daughter left a small figurine of Jesus at the door. Varela said she had seen the boys on multiple occasions before the attack.

"My kids played with the boys, and they were like the cutest things," she said. She described the conversations with her own children in the hours since as deeply difficult. "They can't even fathom how a dad that loves them and a dad of someone else could do something that harsh and that extreme," she added.

Police said the motive for the attack remains under investigation.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)