Chicago Man Arrested After Wife Found Stabbed to Death in Bathtub Still in Wedding Dress

Arnoldo Jimenez, one of the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted fugitives, has been arrested in Monterrey, Mexico, over 12 years after allegedly stabbing his wife to death just hours after their wedding. Jimenez, 42, is accused of killing Estrella Carrera, 26, on May 12, 2012, in Burbank, California, and leaving her body in a bathtub still wearing her silver wedding dress.

The couple had married in secret at Chicago City Hall the day before the murder. Carrera’s family requested a welfare check after she failed to pick up her two children. Police discovered her body in her apartment, prompting a manhunt for Jimenez, who fled the scene in his 2006 Maserati.

The FBI alleges Jimenez stabbed Carrera in his car before dragging her body into the bathtub. On the day of the murder, Jimenez reportedly called his sister, tearfully admitting he had left his wife bleeding after a “bad fight.” He then hung up and refused to answer further calls.

Investigators believe his brother later drove him to Mexico, where he remained a fugitive until his arrest on Thursday. Jimenez was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list in 2019. Authorities described him as “extremely dangerous” and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture, ABC 17 News reports.

He is now awaiting extradition to the U.S. to face first-degree murder charges. Carrera’s family had long expressed concerns about Jimenez, describing him as “very possessive” and jealous. Her older sister revealed to The Associated Press in 2012 that Jimenez had previously hit and bruised Carrera. “I don’t understand why my sister married him at all,” she said.

Jimenez also had a prior arrest for domestic violence unrelated to Carrera. The arrest brings a measure of closure to Carrera’s family, who have waited over a decade for justice. Jimenez, who fathered Carrera’s two-year-old son, had a history of controlling behavior and violence, according to those close to the victim.

The case highlights the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the lengths law enforcement will go to bring fugitives to justice. Jimenez’s capture marks the end of a long-running manhunt, but the scars left by Carrera’s tragic death remain.