On Thursday, Fort Worth police arrested a man on a murder charge in connection with the death of a woman whose body was discovered under a bridge in the city last week.
Joseph Aparicio, 29, was arrested on Thursday morning and booked around 1:20 a.m. for allegedly murdering 19-year-old Janeecia Mason last week. Mason, known to her friends as Nene, was last seen by family getting into a car on March 17 in the Dallas area.
A “want to locate” report was filed for Mason on the night of March 19, Dallas police later confirmed. Mason was found under a bridge in Fort Worth on March 23 around 9 a.m.
Police have not disclosed any information on when or where the alleged killing took place or what might have motivated Aparicio to allegedly commit the crime. Authorities urge anyone with information to come forward and assist with the investigation.
On Thursday, a group of Mason’s friends and former teachers gathered at Trinity High School and commemorated her with pink and blue balloons. Her family will hold a celebration of life for her this weekend in Louisiana, where she lived prior to moving to Texas.
Those who attended the gathering at Trinity High School said she was a people person who was always real with those around her.
“She really had a soft spot for people,” said Carolyn Robertson, a faculty member at Trinity High School, per E-News. “She was real.”
This incident in Fort Worth comes on the heels of a crime-filled year for the metroplex, as crime rates continue to rise. The Dallas Police Department indicates a 22.97% increase in cases of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter from 2022, with 74 cases reported in Dallas so far in 2023.