Sex assault suspect may be linked to teen's slaying

Johnny Avalos taken into custody on charge of sex assault with a child

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police have arrested a sex assault suspect who is also considered a person of interest in the slaying of a teenage girl who was recently found strangled under a bridge.

Johnny Avalos, 28, was taken into custody by SAPD late Tuesday night on the West Side. He was then questioned and booked into the Bexar County Jail.

According to SAPD officials, Avalos is a person of interest in the death of Natalie Chavez, 15, and other several recent violent crimes on the South Side. 

A passerby found Chavez's body last year on Dec. 18 under a bridge at the intersection of Vera Cruz and South Zarzamora. 

Police said Chavez was naked and her body showed signs of trauma.  An autopsy revealed she was strangled and foreign DNA found on her body was found to belong to Avalos, investigators said.

According to the arrest warrant, Avalos admitted to having sex with Chavez for a predetermined amount of money. He also said he was unaware of her age.

As of Wednesday morning, SAPD officials said Avalos had only been charged for sexual assault of a child and has not confessed to the murder of Chavez or any of the other alleged incidents.

However, San Antonio police Sgt. Javier Salazar said homicide investigators believe he's linked to other violent crimes.

"He is a person of interest in the murder of Natalie Chavez," he said. "He's also a person of interest of several violent incidences on the South Side, one of which has led to the death of a young woman on Presa Street and another that has led to critical injuries to another victim on the South Side."

Avalos' criminal record dates back 10 years. He has been arrested on charges including making a terroristic threat against a family, criminal mischief, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting arrest.

Anyone with any information on Avalos and a possible link to any of these violent crimes is asked to call SAPD homicide detectives at 210-207-7635 or Crimestoppers at 210- 224-STOP.


About the Author:

RJ Marquez is the traffic anchor/reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio. He also fills in as a news anchor and has covered stories from breaking news and Fiesta to Spurs championships and high school sports. RJ started at KSAT in 2010. He is proud to serve our viewers and be a part of the culture and community that makes San Antonio great.