An Arizona man was arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend whom he allegedly stabbed 26 times before fleeing to Mexico.
Erik Islas, 53, is accused of killing 59-year-old Patricia Hawking on September 3. The victim’s body was found inside her home two days after her concerned landlord reported her missing.
Officers also noticed that the scene was “in disarray with clear signs of a struggle, broken furniture, and damaged items” and recovered a bloody knife from the trash. Part of the weapon was left on the victim’s back.
Hawking’s family told detectives that the couple’s relationship was “tumultuous” and involved violence.
“The victim told family members about threats Erik had made to kill her and her family by stabbing them with a knife,” authorities said.
Islas traveled to Mexico after the murder but was returning to the US when he was arrested and booked into jail without bond.
