Arlington police arrest four people in connection to two separate murders
ARLINGTON — Four men face capital murder charges for the killings of two people in unrelated cases in Arlington.
"I want to be clear, as a community, we are not going to accept or tolerate this activity in our city," said Arlington Police Chief Al Jones. "I also want to ensure the community that the Arlington Police Department will do everything in its power and use every available resource that we have to hold those responsible for those crimes."
Three men were charged with beating 51-year-old Frank Kwasnica to death in the parking lot of an Arlington apartment complex on January 19.
A man in Houston was arrested for robbing and killing 56-year-old Tho Tieu on December 29. Police said the killing happened in front of Pho San Nam Vietnamese Restaurant off New York Avenue.
Outside the restaurant, there's a makeshift memorial with flowers and candles for Tieu, known by many as Mrs. Kim.
"When I went there to get the food, she was always welcoming, always warm, always had a smile on her face," said Brandi Freeman.
Freeman owns The Doll Factory, a salon a few doors from the restaurant.
She and other neighboring business owners in the shopping center told CBS News Texas they're relieved police found the man responsible for her death.
"Just to have someone who would do that kind of horrific thing in broad daylight to someone who's just trying to make a living like all of us are, it's just very disheartening," Freeman said. "I'm so grateful that they've gotten him, and hopefully that family gets the justice they deserve."
According to investigators, Fernando Taylor followed Tieu for at least an hour before the incident, as she went to multiple businesses before coming to the restaurant. When she arrived, police said the 35-year-old capital murder suspect pulled up next to her and grabbed her bag.
"While it's clear that he intended to rob her, we still don't know why he targeted that victim," Chief Jones said.
Police said Tieu fell on the ground during the struggle for her purse, and then Taylor ran her over with his car as he left the scene.
Taylor is currently held at the Harris County Jail in Houston, awaiting extradition to Tarrant County.
"She was just coming to work doing her everyday routine, business as usual, not knowing that within minutes, her life would be ended by someone who's a coward and just greedy," said Freeman. "I'm just happy that her family is going to get some type of closure."
The family of Kwasnica, killed in mid-January, also got some form of justice.
22-year-old Brayan Amador Vasquez, 29-year-old Jared Amador Vasquez, and 20-year-old Norlan Gomez-Torres have been arrested and face charges of capital murder in the killing.
"The victim's injuries were so severe that it took us almost two days to positively identify who he was," Chief Jones said.
Investigators said it's still unclear why the suspects attacked him in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Detectives said it may have been over a car accident.
"Both of these investigations were very complex and required collaboration between many different units and law enforcement agents to solve," said Chief Jones. "We want the victims' families to get the justice they deserve. We want our community to feel safe. I think a lot of people will rest easier tonight thanks to the hard work of the men and women of the Arlington Police Department."
Jones said the high-profile cases may cause an increased crime assumption in Arlington. That's not accurate, he said.
According to Jones, violent crime decreased 17 percent from 2022 to 2023.