After more than a decade on the run, Arnoldo Jimenez is back in Chicago to face charges in the 2012 killing of his new bride, Estrella Carrera.
Officials said Jimenez, once on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, was brought to Chicago on Thursday, June 18, 2026. He had been arrested in Monterrey, Mexico, on January 30, 2025, and held there while U.S. extradition proceedings played out. Prosecutors accuse him of killing Carrera less than 48 hours after the couple wed, then fleeing the country. His transfer returns the case to the Northern District of Illinois and puts it back in front of local and federal courts.
Law enforcement confirmed the transfer Thursday evening, and ABC7 Chicago reported that authorities released a photo of Jimenez after he arrived in Cook County. The outlet noted that the move came more than a year after his arrest in Monterrey and followed cooperation between U.S. and Mexican officials.
According to a Jan. 31, 2025, news release from the FBI Chicago, Mexican authorities took Jimenez into custody without incident on Jan. 30, 2025, working with Interpol and the FBI. He remained in custody there while the extradition request moved through the courts.
Investigators say Carrera, 26, was found dead on May 13, 2012, in the bathtub of her Burbank apartment, still wearing the dress from her City Hall wedding, as reported at the time by CBS Chicago. Her killing led to a state arrest warrant for Jimenez and, later, a federal unlawful flight charge.
Charges and next steps
Jimenez was charged with first-degree murder in Cook County in 2012, and a federal arrest warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution followed, according to the FBI in Chicago. The bureau credited the Burbank Police Department and Mexican partners for their roles in tracking Jimenez and said he would remain in custody as the legal process continues.
ABC7 Chicago reported that officials did not immediately release details about Jimenez’s arraignment timing or detention status. At the time of publication, authorities had not provided a court date or other scheduling information.
Case history
Jimenez was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in 2019, which kicked off a high-profile manhunt that stretched for years and ultimately ended with his 2025 capture in Mexico. Local coverage at the time detailed the arrest and the bureau’s praise for the long-running investigation, including Hoodline’s earlier story on the ending decade-long manhunt.
Officials say they will release more information as the case moves through the courts. Hoodline will track new filings and local reporting and update this item as additional details become available.
