Amber Alert Issued for 10-Year-Old Boy, Mother Found Dead

An Amber Alert was issued Tuesday night for a young boy believed to be with his father, who has emerged as a suspect in the murder of the child’s mother.

Ian Aguilar, 10, disappeared from his home in the 20 block of Oakdale Street in Wilmer, south of Dallas, on November 14. The body of Aguilar’s mother, Zuleika Arzate, 48, was found inside the residence, and authorities have ruled her death a homicide. The victim also went by the name Zuleika Lopez, according to WFAA.

Police said that the boy’s father, Juan Aguilar-Cano, 38, is the lead suspect in both the woman’s murder and the child’s disappearance. He was last seen in Houston, and the vehicle police believe he was driving — a tan 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe — was found at a bus stop within the city on November 15.

The alert describes Aguilar as 4 feet tall with black hair and brown eyes. His father is 5-foot-7 with black hair and brown eyes, and he has tattoos on his forearms.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Aguilar and Aguilar-Cano is urged to call 911 or the Wilmer Police Department directly at 972-441-6565.

The murder rate has soared this year in Dallas, with 219 non-negligent homicides logged as of November 16, which is a year-over-year increase of 13.5%, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard. Of these, 28 were classified as family violence crimes.

As extensively reported in The Dallas Express, Downtown Dallas especially has been left vulnerable to crime due to an ongoing officer shortage within the Dallas Police Department. Although an analysis from the City previously recommended that a municipality the size of Dallas has about three officers for every 1,000 residents, putting an ideal staffing level at around 4,000 officers, DPD currently employs fewer than 3,200 officers.

Studies of crime data from Downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth compiled by the Metroplex Civic and Business Association have revealed a significant difference in crime rates, with the latter being patrolled by a dedicated neighborhood police unit that works alongside private security guards.