VOLUNTEERS SEARCH WOODS AND CREEKS FOR MISSING TEXAS MOTHER, 42, AS HER THREE CHILDREN WAIT DESPERATELY FOR ANSWERS

The search for a missing Texas mother of three is continuing more than six weeks after she disappeared, as volunteers comb through wooded areas, creek beds and remote stretches of highway in hopes of finding her.

Marjulin Daiuru Briceño Arrieta, 42, was last seen on September 28, 2026, in Denton, Texas. Her disappearance has led to a major investigation involving the Denton Police Department and the FBI, while her estranged husband is now wanted on a murder charge.

Although investigators believe Marjulin was killed, her body has not been recovered. Her three children are still waiting to learn what happened to their mother.

SHE DISAPPEARED AFTER MEETING HER ESTRANGED HUSBAND

According to the Denton Police Department, Marjulin was last seen around 6:45 p.m. on September 28, when she met her estranged husband, 49-year-old Richard Pastor Perez, at his apartment in the 1900 block of North Ruddell Street.

The family became concerned when they were unable to contact either of them.

Relatives reported Marjulin missing that same day, expressing particular concern because of Perez’s reported history of abuse against her.

A family advocate later said the meeting was reportedly connected to an attempt to sell Marjulin’s vehicle.

What happened after that meeting remains the central question investigators are trying to answer.

A SERIES OF DISTURBING DISCOVERIES

As detectives began investigating, they discovered that Marjulin’s vehicle had been abandoned near Perez’s apartment.

Investigators also found that the license plates on the vehicles had been switched.

Perez’s white 2013 Ford Escape was then tracked through Texas using automated license plate recognition cameras.

According to the police investigation, the vehicle was spotted traveling through Wichita Falls on September 28, then southeast of Amarillo and westbound along Interstate 40.

Authorities later located the vehicle in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Video footage reportedly showed the vehicle arriving at a hotel on September 30. A man matching Perez’s description was seen getting out before the vehicle was abandoned in the parking lot.

Investigators said no one else was seen with him.

Based on evidence gathered during the investigation, detectives believe Perez killed Marjulin and obtained an arrest warrant charging him with murder.

Authorities have not publicly located either Perez or Marjulin.

HER WALLET IS FOUND ALONG A RURAL HIGHWAY

A significant development came on October 18, nearly three weeks after Marjulin disappeared.

Volunteers searching along Highway 380 near Decatur discovered a wallet belonging to her.

The wallet reportedly contained her identification, credit cards and other personal belongings.

The discovery was emotional for those involved in the search. After weeks without a major breakthrough, the recovered belongings offered investigators a potentially important new lead.

Private investigator Alfonso Solis, who helped organize the volunteer search, described the discovery as a breakthrough.

He said the team had also found another item connected to Marjulin but did not publicly disclose what it was.

All recovered evidence was turned over to law enforcement.

Although the discovery gave searchers a new direction, authorities have not confirmed that the wallet has established Marjulin’s exact whereabouts.

VOLUNTEERS RETURN TO WOODED AREAS AND CREEKS

The search continued into November.

On November 8, approximately 20 volunteers returned to the area along Highway 380, near the Wise County line.

Search teams focused on wooded areas, creek beds and difficult terrain along a route investigators and search organizers believe may be connected to Perez’s movements.

Solis explained that the information gathered from the wallet discovery had helped significantly narrow the search area.

Initially, searchers were considering an area spanning approximately 350 miles. They were now concentrating on roughly 15 linear miles.

“We’ve narrowed it down to, you know, maybe 15 linear miles. 15 linear miles is so much better than 350 linear miles. So, we’re close,” Solis told FOX 4.

For the volunteers, the mission is about more than recovering evidence. They want to help a family find answers after weeks of uncertainty.

One volunteer, Jared Williamson, explained that he felt compelled to help because the children deserved closure.

The searchers continue examining difficult-to-reach locations, hoping that another discovery will finally lead them to Marjulin.

HER 18-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IS NOW TRYING TO CARE FOR HER LITTLE BROTHER

Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of this case is what Marjulin’s disappearance has meant for her children.

She is a mother of three, and her family is struggling to cope with the possibility that she may never return.

According to family advocate Denisse Carrera, Marjulin’s 18-year-old daughter is now trying to take responsibility for caring for her nine-year-old brother.

The teenager had dreams of attending college and building a future of her own. Instead, she is facing responsibilities no young person should have to carry under such circumstances.

Carrera shared the young woman’s heartbreaking words:

“I had hopes and dreams. I wanted to go to college, and now I’m adopting my brother.”

She also described how emotionally overwhelmed the teenager has become, saying the young woman feels as though she is trying to become a mother to her little brother while dealing with the devastating uncertainty surrounding her own mother.

The family has also spoken about the difficult history Marjulin experienced before separating from Perez.

According to Carrera, the children had felt a sense of peace after their mother separated from her estranged husband.

Now, they are left waiting for answers about her disappearance.

DENTON POLICE AND THE FBI CONTINUE SEARCHING FOR THE SUSPECT

The Denton Police Department and FBI Dallas remain involved in the investigation and the effort to locate Richard Pastor Perez.

Authorities believe he may have fled Texas and are asking the public for assistance.

Denton County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Anyone with information about Perez’s whereabouts can contact Denton County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-388-TIPS (8477) or through dentoncountycrimestoppers.com.

Investigators have not announced that Marjulin’s remains have been found, and the search for her continues.

THREE CHILDREN ARE STILL WAITING FOR THEIR MOTHER

More than six weeks have passed since Marjulin disappeared after meeting her estranged husband.

Her wallet has been recovered. Volunteers have returned to remote areas again and again. Police and federal investigators continue working to locate the man wanted in connection with her disappearance.

But the most important question remains unanswered: Where is Marjulin?

For her three children, this is not simply a missing-person investigation. It is the absence of their mother, the uncertainty of not knowing what happened and the painful reality of trying to imagine a future without her.

Her 18-year-old daughter is trying to look after her younger brother while holding onto the dreams she once had for herself.

And somewhere in North Texas, volunteers continue searching wooded paths and creek beds, hoping to bring a grieving family the answers it desperately needs.

Marjulin’s children are still waiting. Her family is still searching. And until she is found, the search for this Texas mother is not over.