Houston, Texas – After five years of searching, authorities have arrested and charged a man in connection with the 2018 murder of Maria Jimenez-Rodriguez. Eric Fardell Arceneaux, 51, was apprehended outside a business in Houston on Friday and is now facing charges for the slaying of the 29-year-old mother. Despite the arrest, Jimenez-Rodriguez’s body has yet to be found, it is alleged that Arceneaux used a chainsaw to dismember her body and ultimately disposed of it.
According to local NBC affiliate KPRC-TV, evidence including blood, GPS surveillance, and security footage has linked Arceneaux to the crime. Jimenez-Rodriguez disappeared after dropping off her daughter at a babysitter’s house in Houston. The following day, suspicious text messages were sent from her phone to a co-worker, raising concerns among friends and family. The messages, allegedly from Jimenez-Rodriguez, claimed that the babysitter had instructed her to pick up her child and that she believed she was being followed.
However, her sister reported her missing when she failed to show up for work the next day. A family spokesperson expressed doubts about the authenticity of the messages, suggesting that Arceneaux may have been impersonating Jimenez-Rodriguez to avoid suspicion. Phone records revealed that Arceneaux’s phone and hers were in close proximity on the day she vanished, and surveillance footage showed him purchasing an electric chainsaw and trash bags at a Home Depot.
In 2019, Jimenez-Rodriguez’s sister revealed that she believed Arceneaux was a stalker and denied any knowledge of a prior relationship between the two. Court records, on the other hand, described him as the missing woman’s boyfriend. Arceneaux’s daughter, who is unrelated to Jimenez-Rodriguez, informed the police that he had a history of abusing her mother. It is believed that Jimenez-Rodriguez may have been attempting to end their relationship before her disappearance.
Arceneaux had been on the run for over five years before his recent arrest. He is currently being held in custody with a bail set at $250,000. The investigation into the murder of Maria Jimenez-Rodriguez continues, as authorities work to locate her remains and gather further evidence.