GUILTY TX - Natalie Chavez, 15, found murdered, San Antonio, 18 Dec 2014 *arrest*

[KateB]

FB group: https://www.facebook.com/pages/RIP-Natalie-Chavez/1499641443659021?fref=nf

Police looking to social media posts for clues in teen's murder
http://www.kens5.com/story/news/crime/2014/12/22/sapd-social-media/20790119/

"Thank you for everything you are doing," Juan Chavez, Natalie's biological father, said. "But call the cops," he pleaded.

 

[KateB]

KENS5 FB post of same article, with nearly 300 comments overnight and many screenshots shared from social media.

https://www.facebook.com/kens5/posts/10155080282445045

 

[KateB]

Family of teen found dead under bridge facing social media assault
Police piecing together clues and tips, watching social media closely
http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksa...d-under-bridge-facing-social-media-assau.html

Her father, Carlos Johnson, said Chavez had been away from home at the time of her death, but wouldn't say for how long. He described Chavez as a good girl, great daughter and friend.

"She has a lot of friends. As the days have gone by, we've found out she has a lot of friends, a whole bunch of friends," Johnson said.

Despite the cruel and inappropriate social media posts, Johnson said his family is choosing to focus on honoring Chavez and remembering the beautiful person she was.

Interview with San Antonio Police Chief McManus in the article and in the video.

 

[CHERIE.T]

RIP beautiful Natalie. ^j^

 

[Fireweed]

Just saw on the new here in San Antonio that the family is raising money for her funeral. I don't get this way of thinking at all. They obviously allowed her to be a feral child with no supervision out all night, posting "hmu" or hit me up, slang for heroin at the age of 15. Now suddenly they "care" and need a fancy funeral? I am sick to my stomach that people think it is acceptable to behave like this. I guess I can simply never get over the fact that so many people out there simply do not love their kids. But then to insist on a big funeral? Why? What suddenly now that she is dead she is "special" to them?

RIP Natalie. Poor child never had a chance.

 

[Concerned Mama]

Just saw on the new here in San Antonio that the family is raising money for her funeral.

As parents/legal guardians, they failed to provide their child with the safety and intervention she needed. The stepdad's guilt is very apparent in his admitting in a televised interview that they ignored a text from Natalie asking to come home just hours before her murder. Now that she's dead, they want to honor her memory with a funeral, showing how much they cared?
:back:
Too little, too late.

 

[Fireweed]

As parents/legal guardians, they failed to provide their child with the safety and intervention she needed. The stepdad's guilt is very apparent in his admitting in a televised interview that they ignored a text from Natalie asking to come home just hours before her murder. Now that she's dead, they want to honor her memory with a funeral, showing how much they cared?
:back:
Too little, too late.

Yeah that is what bothers me so much. I have seen this many times in the news. Somebody who had a very neglected life gets a lavish funeral. I am not saying that poor Natalie should not have a nice funeral, but what this poor child really needed were some people who cared for her during her life.

 

[MzOpinion8d]

Just saw on the new here in San Antonio that the family is raising money for her funeral. I don't get this way of thinking at all. They obviously allowed her to be a feral child with no supervision out all night, posting "hmu" or hit me up, slang for heroin at the age of 15. Now suddenly they "care" and need a fancy funeral? I am sick to my stomach that people think it is acceptable to behave like this. I guess I can simply never get over the fact that so many people out there simply do not love their kids. But then to insist on a big funeral? Why? What suddenly now that she is dead she is "special" to them?

RIP Natalie. Poor child never had a chance.

Not to mention that the TX Crime Victims' Fund will pay for the funeral anyway...

 

[Fireweed]

Not to mention that the TX Crime Victims' Fund will pay for the funeral anyway...

They will probably pocket the extra money. Nothing makes me madder than seeing a child this age get murdered all because they were put into situations they could not handle. Yes, I know the murderer is the one at fault, but I still maintain that one of the reasons adults and parents work hard to protect kids is because there are murderers out there. There is a reason no 15 year old child should be out at 4 in the morning by herself on a bad side of town.

Anyway, I am irked at watching the local news with the family putting themselves out there like they give a rat's arse about this poor kid. It is obvious that they did not.

 

[wfgodot]

Okay, back to sleuthing out the murderer.

 

[KateB]

Crime Victims' Compensation: Reimbursable expenses
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/victims/expenses.shtml

Funeral and Burial Expenses include reimbursement for professional burial services, flowers, caskets, urns and grave markers. The maximum award for these costs is $4,500. Costs for transporting the body to another state or country are awarded in addition to the $4,500 maximum.

http://www.us-funerals.com/funeral-articles/funerals-and-cremations-in-texas.html

We often get asked ‘what is the cost of a funeral in Texas?’ and this is unfortunately not a straightforward question to answer. Unlike many other trades and professions, average service charges can vary significantly. The NFDA quote the national average funeral cost at $7,755 (2012), however, this does not take into account any cemetery fees. It would be fair to say that the average traditional funeral in Texas can cost around $10,000.

BBM

The link to the news about the community coming together to help the family: http://www.kens5.com/story/news/local/2014/12/26/natalie-chavez-funeral-death/20925775/

 

[Fireweed]

Apparently, there are people who are part of her social circle who are saying that they know who did it (it is a little hard to tell if that is what they are saying as most of them are essentially illiterate). I think they will find the murderer rather soon.

Also @Kate My grandfather just died and we are having the memorial this Sunday. The entire affair will be less than $1,000. Again, I find it sickening that the "parents" of this child now suddenly want to ostentatiously show how "valued" this poor child was by having a pricey funeral.

 

[OkieGranny]

Still no arrests.

http://www.siouxlandmatters.com/story/d/story/remembering-natalie/29667/zK3Y3HYDgEOio87Jx_acKg

 

[wfgodot]

Sadly, I imagine that there may be an abundance of possibilities.

 

[pukasonqo2]

just 15, don't know what to say... go in peace natalie

 

[ninij9]

I have read everything I could on this very sad case. I think this murder was gang related. After reading all of the fb pages and all of their multiple accounts and all of the comments on the news pieces, I think those closest to Natalie have a pretty good idea about what happened. Its sad that she had no where to stay, yet now she seems to have a warm, loving family crying for justice. Wth is that? Jmo. Its too sad. I hope we get an update soon.

 

[Starry Night]

Please don't judge her family so harshly. When a 15 year old rebels-it's hard to gain control of the situation. I was living in a gang-ridden neighborhood back in the day and a car pulled up in front of my apartment-I heard yelling and screaming and walked outside. I witnessed an older woman beating a teenaged girl. I ran over to car car to intervene-and BOTH parties told me to mind my own effing business and drove off. It was a mother and daughter.
No-one except the close family members knows the truth-maybe the girl chose to leave and not come home-several times over.
It's kinda like the Prodigal son story maybe? No easy answers. Lots of fractured family situations.

Also-holding fundraisers for young victims of crime/accidents etc. is nothing new under the sun in San Antonio.
I feel for her whole family and I pray the killer(s) be brought to light.
This could easily have happened to my own daughter when she was Natalie's age-and for years after.
Just please remember her whole family are victim's too.

Hope I haven't offended anyone...............

 

[wfgodot]

Also San Antonian: the public scene-of-death tribute.

 

[ninij9]

I value everyone's take on cases. I have read the bio dads FB and imoo, he seems to be gang affiliated also. I meant no disrespect to anyone that has to live in hard areas, I was just pointing out that prior to this tragedy, she was mostly left to her own devices. We had a family tragedy, I am related to a convicted felon who killed his young gf. Her family threw her out at 15. She supported herself by dancing!! She was very sweet, and well loved by us all, but she lived a hard life. Then my BIL killed her. After the crime, her family came out of the woodwork proclaiming their love etc, which was so unbelievable to me. So maybe I was projecting a little as Natalie reminds me very much of our sweet Nichole. So I am sorry if I have offended, or come off as family blaming. I am just sad that so many young ones slip through cracks...

 

[Starry Night]

Just wanted to add that when I mentioned it could have happened to my own daughter-from age 14 on-it was a deadly battle to keep her ALIVE and under some semblance of control. Lots of cop-calling-almost filed a missing person's report-car chases between her dad and her friends-calls in the middle of the night from hospitals-alcohol poisoning-threats and vandalism from her so-called friends-juvenile court-calls from her so loaded she could hardly describe where she was-scenes in the front yard with her screaming bloody murder telling the world that we didn't care about her-her showing up at my work and her cursing me out in a rampage in front of the (government) building where I worked-threats of suicide-threats of leaving the state. One time I picked her up from jail and she jumped out of the car at 4 in the morning (age 16) and ran up the dark road. Cops couldn't find her etc.
We were in terror for her and there was a lot of family blaming going on.
Not trying to derail the thread or say that Natalie did anything like my daughter....just that there are lot of dangers out there and parents cannot always get through to a juvenile how dangerous it can be running around unsupervised.

A monster killed her. Period.

I will shut up now. This case has broken my heart.