Okeechobee County, Fla. – Two brothers, Brian, 21, and Kevin Chavez, 18, have been arrested in Florida after being on the run for three months for the murder of a mother of four in Kentucky.
The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office deputies apprehended the suspects nearly 1,000 miles from the crime scene. The Chavez brothers are accused of shooting and killing 28-year-old Esmeralda Rodriguez Perez during a child’s birthday party in Lexington, Kentucky, on September 2024.
Neighbors in Okeechobee were shocked to learn of the brothers’ involvement. Gary Sires, a local resident, often saw the brothers but never imagined the police would swarm the house where they lived. “I didn’t know anything about this,” said Sires, who witnessed the arrest, including multiple police vehicles and a SWAT team surrounding the home.
Perez’s family, devastated by the loss, expressed the pain of losing a loved one who left behind four young children. Her youngest child, not even a year old, will now grow up without his mother. “What hurts me most is that she’s not going to see him grow up,” said Kimberly Perez, the victim’s sister.
The case had remained unsolved for months, and authorities had been seeking the public’s assistance. A crucial tip from a local resident led to the Chavez brothers’ capture. “By the end of the day, we had captured them and taken them into custody,” said Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Michael Hazellief, bringing an end to the three-month search.
“We hope that this arrest helps provide some closure for the family affected by this horrific event,” Hazellief added.
The brothers, who are currently being held in Florida, will soon be extradited to Kentucky to face multiple charges, including first-degree murder.
