Arlington cops name person of interest in killing of mother of 5, Evila Yanes
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - The Arlington Police Department is asking for the public's help finding who killed mother of five, Evila Yanes the day before Halloween.
The 44-year-old was found face down, bleeding profusely in a parking lot in the 400 block of N. Cooper Street. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office determined her cause of death was blunt force injuries to the head and ruled her death a homicide.
In the weeks following Yanes' homicide, detectives identified Jose Luis Moreno Castaneda as a person of interest in the case.
During a Nov. 30 press conference, Deputy Chief Kyle Dishko, said Castaneda was Yanes' boyfriend.
Surveillance video from a grocery store the day before Yanes' body was found showed the couple together. Detective Dishko said Castaneda was the last person seen with Yanes before her death. He may still be in the area, or may have fled to Mexico, according to detectives.
"We have not found anyone who has seen or heard from him since her murder. This behavior is suspicious and concerning to the Arlington Police Department," said Dishko.
The 43-year-old was previously arrested in March 2021 after he threw gasoline on Yanes. Castaneda is currently on probation for the domestic violence incident. Since he has failed to communicate with his probation officer regarding his current location, a violation of probation warrant was issued for his arrest.
On a GoFundMe page in Yanes' honor, her family shared: "She was a sweet, loving, caring, beautiful single mother who left behind 5 kids along with 2 grandchildren. She always looked at the good side of everyone around her. She devoted her life to her children and her grandchildren, they were everything to her and now they will never see her again. She was a mother as much as she was a father to them. She will be forever missed."
Anyone with information is urged to call the lead detective on the case, Detective Krystallyne Robinson at 817.459.5935.
"It's frustrating but I believe with the public's help we can find him," said Det. Robinson.