Police arrested Chris Weiss around 5:15 on Tuesday afternoon in Temple in connection with a double murder.
On Nov. 5, 24-year-old Valarie Martinez and her 1-year-old daughter, Azariah, were found both shot in the head in Hallsburg. They were gunned down at Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir Park #3 on Sunday.
Cassandra Slaby, a friend of Martinez, said she knew Weiss was to blame from the start.
"She had no enemies, super nice person. Right off the bat, I knew it was her estranged child's father," said Slaby.
Slaby said Weiss is a married man who ignored Martinez after finding out that he had gotten her pregnant. Slaby helped Martinez track him down using social media.
"I had been trying to find this man for a year," said Slaby. "I have all of these screenshots where he would give her fake names and we finally found him just a month ago."
Slaby said the pair reconnected in October and met twice at the exact location she was murdered. Slaby said Martinez was happy Weiss had finally met his daughter and appeared to be putting effort into their relationship.
"I don't understand how somebody could just murder a 1-year-old," said Slaby. "It's so sad because she looked just like the dad."
Sheriff Parnell McNamara with the McLennan County Sheriff's office described Weiss as "the ultimate coward" for brutally taking the life of a mother and her child.
Sheriff McNamara said deputies had his home under surveillance and they were able to arrest Weiss through a traffic stop, just minutes before he tried to make a break for it.
"We arrested him, seized his pickup. It was loaded with tubs of clothes and everything, as well as birth certificates and so forth which led us to believe he was skipping out on us," said Sheriff McNamara.
Weiss was on MCSO's radar since day one, after multiple sources, including Slaby, told them he was the father of the murdered 1-year-old.
"Who can take the time to open a car door and murder somebody who can't even unbuckle their own seat belt to help themselves," said Slaby.
Slaby now has closure knowing that Martinez's accused killer is sitting in the McLennan County Jail.
"I hope he doesn't have an easy ride for the rest of his life," said Slaby.
As much as Sheriff McNamara would like to put this case behind him, he expects to deal with Weiss for years as he moves through the criminal justice system.
A candlelight vigil is planned for Valarie and Azariah on Sunday, Nov. 12 at TP&L Park #3. Slaby is also collecting donations to cover the cost of the vigil.
A Gofundme has also been set up to cover funeral expenses.
The viewing for Valarie and Azariah will be Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The funeral will be on Wednesday, Nov. 15th at 1 p.m. at Oak Crest Funeral Home in Waco.
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