Carrollton Man Charged With Murdering Wife Weeks After Wedding

Karla Rangel had been married for 20 days when Carrollton police found her not breathing inside an apartment on Metrocrest Drive.

Officers responded just before dawn, around 4:40 a.m. on March 18, to a reported disturbance at an apartment in the 1700 block of Metrocrest Drive. Inside, they discovered a victim with an injury to her throat who was not breathing.

Police found two individuals in the apartment, including 23-year-old Francisco Mendez-Marin, who was found with blood on his clothes and a bloody pocket knife. The arrest affidavit states that officer body camera footage shows the suspect saying "I didn't do anything bad" and "I was obligated to do it" in Spanish. Officers determined Mendez-Marin committed the offense and arrested him, charging him with murder.

Officials found a marriage license dated to Feb. 26, 2026, in the suspect's apartment showing the victim, 20-year-old Karla Rangel, was married to Mendez-Marin. The license placed the couple just three weeks past their wedding when the fatal call came in.

Carrollton police later confirmed the incident began as a domestic dispute before turning violent. Another individual was also in the apartment at the time of the incident, though their identity, relationship to the couple, and current status have not been disclosed by authorities.

Mendez-Marin was taken to the Carrollton City Jail and later moved to Dallas County Jail, where he is currently on an immigration hold. Authorities have not disclosed what bond, if any, has been set.

Mendez-Marin is charged with murder. A charge is an allegation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.