PEORIA, ARIZONA: Erik Islas, a suspect in the brutal murder of a woman who was stabbed to death, was arrested by Arizona authorities after he fled to Mexico.
The 53-year-old man, who has been accused of stabbing his girlfriend 26 times, was charged with first-degree murder, reported Fox News.
Who was Patricia Hawking?
Patricia Hawking, a 59-year-old woman, was stabbed to death by her boyfriend on September 3 during a heated altercation, according to police.
The investigation into the murder case began when the woman's landlord told officers that she had not seen Hawking in several days and grew concerned over her tenant's sudden disappearance, as per court documents obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix.
When the landlord dialed Hawking's number, a man picked up her phone and told her he found the phone at an intersection in Phoenix, which was an unexpected location.
How did police find Patricia Hawking's body?
On September 5, investigators entered the missing woman's casita and found blood on the ground. They also discovered a blood-soaked knife in the trash.
According to court documents, Hawking's home was "in disarray with clear signs of a struggle, broken furniture and damaged items."
Tragically, the victim's body was discovered "with obvious signs of trauma" inside a bedroom in the house near 16th Street and Bethany Home Road.
Investigators further found that part of the weapon was still in her back and discovered that Hawkings had been stabbed 26 times. Surveillance footage from a day before Hawking's death showed her and Islas in a physical altercation.
Her family explained to authorities that the longtime relationship between Hawking and Islas was "tumultuous." They also added that he had hurt her before.
"The victim told family members about threats Erik had made to kill her and her family by stabbing them with a knife," the court documents said.
Authorities then tracked the suspect's vehicle and found that he fled to Mexico following the murder and was detained during his return to the US.
"Post Miranda, Erik confessed to arguing with [Hawking], punching her in the face/head and then stabbing her multiple times with the intent to kill her," read the court documents.
"Erik did not provide aid or call 911. He took the victim's phone so he could not be tracked and fled to Mexico," the documents added.
An investigation into the murder case is still ongoing. The alleged killer was booked into jail without bail, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
