A 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder after a woman was found fatally injured inside a Carrollton apartment early March 18, police said.
Officers responded about 4:40 a.m. to a reported disturbance in the 1700 block of Metrocrest Drive, where they found a woman with a severe throat injury who was not breathing.
Police said two people were inside the apartment, including Francisco Mendez-Marin, who had blood on his clothing and was in possession of a bloody pocket knife.
According to an arrest affidavit, body camera footage captured the suspect making statements in Spanish, including “I didn’t do anything bad” and “I was obligated to do it.” Officers determined Mendez-Marin was responsible and took him into custody.
Authorities identified the victim as 20-year-old Karla Rangel. Investigators said a marriage license dated Feb. 26, 2026, found inside the apartment shows the two were married.
Carrollton police said the incident began as a domestic dispute that escalated into violence. A third person was also inside the apartment at the time.
Mendez-Marin was initially booked into the Carrollton City Jail and later transferred to the Dallas County Jail. Police said he is also being held on an immigration detainer.
Francisco Mendez-Marin was in the country illegally
