Police arrest man who allegedly killed 6-year-old Juarez boy

Chihuahua state investigators announced Friday they arrested a suspect in the murder of a 6-year-old boy whose disappearance shocked the Borderland.

The body of David Rafael Santillan Vargas, or “Rafita,” was found Monday, five days after he went missing.

While investigators did not release the suspect’s name, they say the man lives in the same neighborhood and knew the boy. Investigators said more details will be released once it’s “legally possible.”

Investigators said the boy’s grandmother sent him to a store, but he never returned. The grandmother went to look for the boy and learned the store was closed.

A week later, the boy’s body was found inside a trash bag in south Juarez near the airport. An autopsy determined the boy died from head trauma and had been dead four to five days.

Investigators said the body showed no signs of being sexually assaulted. The body was covered in a black bag from head to waist, investigators said. They also found tire tracks and shoe prints near the body.

State officials Friday also warned people the social media messages claiming there is an alert due to children being kidnapped are false.