Police believe Marjulin Briceño Arrieta was killed after meeting her estranged husband, leaving her family awaiting answers about her whereabouts.
DENTON, Texas — More than two weeks after Marjulin Daiuru Briceño Arrieta disappeared, her three children have been told that police believe their mother is dead as investigators search for her estranged husband on a murder warrant.
The announcement transformed a missing-person case that had drawn relatives and community members together in hopes of finding the 42-year-old mother alive. Denton police said evidence collected during the investigation led them to believe she was killed. Her body has not been found, and authorities have not publicly disclosed exactly what happened to her.
Interim Denton Police Chief Tony Salas said investigators met with Briceño Arrieta’s family before publicly announcing the murder investigation. Police said DNA evidence contributed to their conclusion that she was no longer alive. Investigators have not released detailed findings from that evidence or said where they believe she may be.
Briceño Arrieta was the mother of three children, ages 21, 18 and 9, according to local reporting. Before police announced the murder warrant, family members, friends and other community members had gathered at North Lakes Park in Denton to pray for her safe return. Supporters also helped the family with food and expenses as the search continued.
Briceño Arrieta was last known to have met her estranged husband, Richard Pastor Perez, around 6:45 p.m. Sept. 28 at his apartment in the 1900 block of North Ruddell Street. Police said she had told a family member where she was going. After relatives could not reach her or Perez, they reported their concerns to police.
Authorities said the family was particularly worried because of what police described as a history of abuse involving Perez. The couple was estranged at the time of the meeting. Police have not released a complete account of the couple’s prior history or disclosed whether any earlier allegations resulted in criminal charges.
Investigators later found Briceño Arrieta’s vehicle abandoned near Perez’s apartment. Perez’s white 2013 Ford Escape was missing, and detectives determined that its license plate had been switched. License plate reader records tracked the SUV through Wichita Falls, the Texas Panhandle and eventually toward New Mexico.
Albuquerque police later found the Escape after receiving an alert. Surveillance video from a hotel showed a man matching Perez’s description arriving in the SUV and getting out before the vehicle was abandoned, Denton police said. Investigators said no one else was seen with him in the footage. Perez’s whereabouts after that point remain unknown.
Denton police obtained a murder warrant for Perez based on evidence gathered during the investigation. The accusation has not been proven in court, and Perez had not been reported in custody as of the latest update. Authorities continue searching for him while also trying to locate Briceño Arrieta.
For her family, the investigation now carries two unresolved questions: where Briceño Arrieta is and where Perez went after reaching Albuquerque. Denton police and the FBI continue to pursue both searches, while a Crime Stoppers reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for information leading to Perez’s arrest.
Author note: Last updated October 14, 2026.