Suspect charged with murder in fatal stabbing of Arlington great-grandmother

ARLINGTON, Texas - A man accused of fatally stabbing a 63-year-old woman at an apartment complex and committing a string of other crimes, is now charged with murder.

Police found 63-year-old Erma Adeyemo Azeez unresponsive late Monday. She was taken to the hospital where she died. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner says her death was caused by stab wounds and has ruled her death a homicide.

Police investigators say 23-year-old Jacob Arriaga-Guerrero was wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the murder, and it places him at the scene of the crime.

Death Investigation

What we know:

On Monday, March 31, 2025, just before midnight, officers were called to an apartment complex in the 2600 block of Whisper Meadow Lane to investigate reports of shots fired.

When they arrived at the scene, they found Adeyemo-Azeez lying unresponsive in a breezeway. She was taken to an area hospital where she later died. 

Police say a witness, a 37-year-old man, told officers he heard Adeyemo-Azeez screaming for help, then got a gun and went to investigate. He said he saw an unknown man attacking her while holding a sharp object.

The witness told police he pointed the gun at the suspect, saying he would shoot, and fired a shot into the ground. At that point, the suspect ran from the scene.

Ankle Monitor Tampering

The investigation revealed the Tarrant County Community Supervision and Corrections Department received an ankle monitor tampering alert from an individual on probation, Arriaga Guerrero. 

Arriaga Guerrero matched the description of the suspect provided by multiple witnesses at the scene. GPS data provided by Tarrant County also placed him at the crime scene at the time of the attack.

Hit-and-Run

Dig deeper:

While attempting to find Arriaga Guerrero on Tuesday morning, the department received a 911 call just before 7 a.m. for a hit-and-run that happened at the intersection of Walnut Hill Circle and Burney Road. 

The caller told police a driver in an SUV hit a pedestrian walking a dog and crashed into another vehicle before driving off. The pedestrian and the other driver were not seriously injured. The dog had injuries to its leg.  

Detectives in the APD Real Time Crime Center were able to help officers find the SUV, which had been reported stolen, nearby in the 2500 block of Burney Road. Officers went to the location and took the driver, Arriaga Guerrero, into custody.

What's next:

Arlington Police and Tarrant County D.A. say Arriaga Guerrero is charged with murder in connection to the deadly stabbing.

He is also charged with one count of collision involving injury, one count of animal cruelty, and one count of theft of a motor vehicle in connection to the hit-and-run.

Arriaga Guerrero is currently in the Arlington Jail. He is expected to be transferred to the Tarrant County Jail. No bond has been set at this time.

Previous Crimes

Last week, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office needed help identifying Arriaga Guerrero after he was suspected of "serious crimes." The sheriff's office said he was not cooperating and refused to identify himself. Tips from the public helped identify him, according to the deputies.

He was arrested on March 23 by Crowley Police and charged with aggravated robbery, tampering with physical evidence, evading in a vehicle, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and unlawful carrying of a weapon. He bonded out of jail.

Crowley Police say Guerrero stole a black F350 truck with a gun inside and used the gun to rob a woman at Walmart off FM 11-87.

He led officers on a chase before crashing out in Burleson.

The stolen black F350 and the gun belong to Brian McDaniel.

Arlington great-grandmother remembered

What they're saying:

Erma Adeyemo-Azeez got home late Monday evening after helping a friend move.

The medical examiner confirmed on Wednesday that she was stabbed to death.

Her vehicle was released by Arlington police on Wednesday after it was taken into evidence.

Adeyemo-Azeez's family says she was a pillar of the community. Loved by her family and heavily involved in her church.

The victim's daughter, Kushana Allen, says helping people is what her mother did.

"She was a phenomenal lady and her life meant everything to us," said Allen. "She is a community mama. She is the leader. She was the leader of our food pantry at our church. She was a woman of God."

Adeyemo-Azeez was a grandmother and a great-grandmother. The family were all together on Sunday in Grand Prairie.

"I hate to say it, but the system failed my mom," said Allen. "And [for the victim] to be among the general population. It's a systemic flaw, and it failed my mother, and my mom had to pay a price that she did not deserve."

ArlingtonCrime and Public SafetyJohnson County