Missing Texas boy’s father suspected in mother’s death, sources say

A statewide AMBER Alert is ongoing Thursday with police desperately searching for a missing Wilmer boy they believe is with his father. Meanwhile, law enforcement sources say the man is wanted in connection with the death of the boy's mother.

Wilmer Police requested an AMBER Alert Tuesday for 10-year-old Ian Aguilar, saying they believed he was with his father, 38-year-old Juan Aguilar-Cano, and that he was in grave or immediate danger.

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The Dallas County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday that Aguilar-Cano is a suspect in an active homicide case, but they confirmed no other details about the victim's identity or the investigation.

Law enforcement sources, however, told NBC 5 on Wednesday that Aguilar-Cano is suspected of taking his son after killing the boy's mother, 48-year-old Zoleika Arzate.

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An AMBER Alert is issued for Ian Aguilar, left, who is believed to be with his father, Juan Aguilar-Cano, right. Law enforcement sources tell NBC 5 the boy's father is suspected of killing his mother.

The Texas Department of Public Safety issued an AMBER Alert Tuesday night and said the boy was last seen earlier in the day, at about 7:30 a.m., along the 20 block of Oakdale Street in Wilmer. Since that time the boy's father's 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe has been found unoccupied in the Houston area.

On Thursday, Wilmer PD confirmed Aguilar-Cano's vehicle was found parked across the street from Tornado Bus Company's Houston location in the 1500 block of Airline Drive. The bus company runs numerous routes into Mexico.

U.S. Marshals are working with Wilmer PD in the AMBER Alert investigation as well as with the national Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Marissa Gonzales, a neighbor, said she noticed a heavy police presence in the neighborhood and realized the boy she’d seen from across the street for the past four years was missing.

“The cops were here in and out, the detectives coming in and out, and then around nine or ten when the amber alert went out, I was like oh it is my neighbor,” said Gonzales.

Neither the boy nor his father have been located and investigators did not reveal any new information Wednesday about what vehicle they might be traveling in or where they could be headed.

Neighbors told NBC 5 the mother's body was discovered inside her home Tuesday by her daughter.

"When she got inside she found her and that's when she started screaming and started going crazy," an unnamed woman said. "I know that the cops work in situations where they find brutal murders, and then for the cops to come outside and be crying -- it's something really horrifying that they saw."

Another neighbor told NBC 5 that he recognized the photo of Aguilar-Cano and said he lived here with his family and that he would see him often. Another woman said she'd known the family for the eight years they lived in the community and that she never saw any sign of violence.

“We kept saying ‘well where’s the wife, where’s the kid,’ and then we get the AMBER Alert and we’re like oh it’s the wife inside,” Gonzales said. “They’re a good family. Everyone has their problems, but I didn’t think it would go this far.”

The family of Aguilar-Cano told NBC 5 that they didn't want to speak and that they didn't know where he was.

Child Protective Services told NBC 5 Wednesday afternoon that they didn't have any history at the address or an active investigation in the case.

ACTIVE STATEWIDE AMBER ALERT for Ian Aguilar from Wilmer, TX, on 11/14/2023, TX plate KVZ-1194 pic.twitter.com/RciGJSFi2X
— Texas Alerts (@TX_Alerts) November 15, 2023

Police described the child as Hispanic with black hair and brown eyes and standing about 4 feet tall. The boy's father is described similarly, as Hispanic with black hair and brown eyes and standing about 5 feet 7 inches tall. It's unknown what either the boy or his father were last wearing.

The Dallas ISD confirmed to NBC 5 that the boy is a student enrolled at the Eddie Berniece Johnson STEM Academy.

Anyone with information about the abduction or the child's location is urged to call the Wilmer Police Department at 972-441-6565.

TEXAS STATEWIDE ALERT PROGRAMS

There are eight kinds of alerts that can be issued for missing or endangered people in Texas. They are listed below with links to a page with more information.