An Ames man accused of murdering his girlfriend was apprehended late last (Thursday) night following a routine traffic stop in Auburn. According to Sac County Sheriff, Ken McClure, a deputy on regular patrol pulled over the suspect’s vehicle at approximately 11:55 p.m. for a stop sign violation. Authorities say the man evaded the deputy’s questions and complained of a potential medical issue. The man would not produce identification, but the deputy was able to identify the individual as 26-year-old Oscar Chavez of Ames. Chavez then told authorities he had shot and killed his girlfriend earlier in the evening. The Ames Police Department confirmed Chavez was a suspect in an ongoing homicide investigation, and he was arrested. Chavez was transported to Loring Hospital in Sac City and then moved to the Sac County jail, where detectives from the Ames Police Department and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) took Chavez into custody. Authorities say the unidentified woman’s body was located at approximately 6:10 p.m. Thursday during a welfare check at an apartment in west Ames. Chavez has been charged with first-degree murder, a class A felony, and remains in custody at the Story County jail. The woman’s name is being withheld pending notification of family.
