Homicide Investigation - Report #2026-02730758
Published on October 01, 2026
By Arlington Police Department
The Arlington Police Department is investigating a tragic incident that resulted in the death of a 5-year-old child and left a 2-year-old child severely injured.
On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 11:50 p.m., a car pulled up next to an APD officer who was parked at a gas station in the 1400 block of N. Cooper Street. A man exited the car, went up to the officer’s driver side window, and immediately hit the window with a knife.
The officer reversed out of the parking spot and moved a safe distance away. He then activated his overhead lights, got out of the patrol vehicle, and gave the man multiple commands to drop the knife. Instead, the man re-entered his vehicle and drove away, heading towards I-30.
The officer got back in his patrol vehicle and attempted to pull the suspect over, but he did not stop. A pursuit was initiated. With assistance from the Grand Prairie Police Department, the car came to a stop along I-30 near NW 7th Street. The suspect, who was identified as 27-year-old Heyco Cruz Linares, was then taken into custody.
As he was being arrested, Mr. Cruz Linares made comments that he’d killed his kids at their apartment in Arlington. The officers on scene quickly determined the apartment was located in the 1600 block of S. Cooper Street and relayed that information to other officers, who immediately responded. The officers entered the apartment and found two young boys inside with wounds consistent with a knife attack.
Both children were transported to an area hospital where one of the boys, a 5-year-old, later died from his injuries. The 2-year-old child remains hospitalized and is currently stable.
Mr. Cruz Linares was booked into the Arlington City Jail on one count of Capital Murder, one count of Evading, and one count of Terroristic Threat Against a Peace Officer. Additional charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.
The motive for this incident remains under investigation.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the name of the child.