A person has been taken into custody after a woman was once killed whilst mountaineering on a Phoenix path final week, police stated.
“Phoenix police have taken a man into custody in connection with the murder of 29-year-old Lauren Heike,” the Phoenix Police Department tweeted Thursday night time.
The guy, who police stated is in his early 20s, was once arrested at his place of dwelling round 6:30 p.m. native time and is these days at police headquarters being interviewed through murder detectives, Sgt. Maria Soliz stated all the way through a press convention.
The guy is identical one who was once observed in a video clip working clear of the scene, Soliz stated. Police aren’t liberating the person’s identify right now.
There was once an outpouring of enhance and pointers after Heike’s circle of relatives spoke the day prior to this, police stated. Soliz would no longer say whether or not any such pointers ended in the person’s arrest.
Heike’s folks had pleaded with the general public for information within the case, as police sought for a suspect within the “vicious attack.”
Heike was once discovered useless in a wasteland house with “trauma to her body” round 10:30 a.m. native time Saturday — about 24 hours after the assault is thought to have passed off, Phoenix police said.
She lived within the house and was once on a well-liked path that she mechanically hiked, police and her circle of relatives stated.
“She loved to exercise. She was walking and we know she was happy. She went out that morning on a beautiful day, she did what she does every day,” her mom, Lana Heike, informed journalists all the way through a press briefing Wednesday whilst surrounded through her daughter’s family and friends.
Family contributors of Lauren Heike ask the general public to proportion any information they will have associated with Lauren’s dying all the way through a presser with the Phoenix Police Department, May 3, 2023.
Phoenix Police Department
Phoenix police Lt. James Hester stated Lauren Heike was once attacked from in the back of and died on account of her accidents.
“The vicious attack on Ms. Lauren Heike is unconscionable,” he stated all the way through the briefing.
Hester declined to proportion many main points within the case not to compromise the investigation. But he stated police have surveillance photos from Friday of an individual believed to be a suspect within the murder.
The suspect is described through police as being upward of 6 ft tall and having a skinny construct with a depressing complexion. The person was once dressed in a depressing backpack, grey or lighter-colored blouse, darkish pants and footwear and was once observed working close to the world of the crime, police stated.
Hester requested individuals who spotted anything else “that didn’t look right” on the path the day of the incident, in addition to the times main as much as and after it, to return ahead.
“The behavior, in my opinion, was so heinous that I would imagine that the subject would be displaying behavior symptoms that just would look out of place,” he stated.
In an indication posted on the path, police also are now caution folks to not stroll by myself and to document suspicious task.
The Phoenix Police Department launched a video of a suspect sought in reference to Lauren Heike’s dying.
Phoenix Police Department
Lauren Heike’s mom described her daughter as “beautiful inside and out” and any individual who had a “kind heart.”
“Everybody who met her loved her,” Lana Heike stated. “She was super funny. She was just a sweet child.”
Lana Heike stated she spoke to her daughter each day, and each and every name or textual content ended with, “I love you, mom.”
“We just want the world to know what a sweet person she was, and what she meant to us and to our family. And what a void it is for us,” Lana Heike stated.
“I’m begging people to come forward,” she stated.
Lauren Heike’s circle of relatives got here in from Washington state to wait Wednesday’s emotional press briefing.
“I just hope they can find whoever did this to her,” her father, Jeff Heike, stated.
ABC News’ Marilyn Heck contributed to this document.
post credit to Source link
