Fatal Stabbing Victim's Last Words Lead To Arrests In Gruesome Slaying
LIVERMORE (CBS SF) – Two suspects identified in the dying declaration of the female victim who was found with multiple stab wounds near Tesla Road early Monday have been arrested in Modesto, according to authorities.
The 19-year-old woman was found bleeding from multiple stab wounds near Tesla Road about two miles west of the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area early Monday morning, according to Alameda County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly.
The woman was airlifted to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley to be treated for the injuries, Kelly said. She was pronounced dead at 4:30 a.m.
Kelly confirmed Monday afternoon that the two suspects -- a man and a woman, both 19 years old -- were arrested in Modesto shortly after 2 p.m.
"A short time ago, we took two people into custody in Modesto in regards to this homicide case. We were able to act on the information from our victim," said Kelly.
The suspects were taken into custody at a home on the 1000 block of Nadine Avenue. He said that the victim's dying declaration named the two suspects who were found at that location and taken into custody.
"We were able to have a conversation with her. She was able to give us information before she died that led us to Modesto and we were able to take two people into custody that we feel are responsible in this homicide investigation," explained Kelly.
Kelly credited the victim's tenacity and survival instincts in helping authorities catch the suspects so quickly.
"It's a bittersweet moment for us in the fact that we do have the people responsible," explained Kelly. "What we found in this case is that this victim really, really tried to survive. And she fought and she fought. The last thing we believe she was able to do was to point us in the direction of the people who killed her."
"That's pretty remarkable. That's part of this story," continued Kelly. "Part of this fight she had alone on this rural road by herself. She didn't give up. She was able to give us that important information that led us to Modesto."
Kelly confirmed that initial reports based on audio from police dispatchers that the victim was missing proved to be untrue.
"Initially they thought the woman may have had a severed arm. That was not true," said Kelly. "She had her arm under her body as she crawled."
Kelly said investigators believe the woman was killed with malice aforethought and that she was dumped out of a vehicle and left for dead.
He said authorities think the woman was able to crawl on her stomach for about 100 yards or more before she was spotted by the motorist who reported the stabbing to authorities. A trail of blood and clothes was left on the roadway by the victim.
Kelly said the investigation into whether the crime involved more than the two suspects now in custody would continue.
"We are absolutely looking into if there are more people involved, but right now we believe we have two people very responsible for this case," said Kelly. "We worked with the Modesto Police Department and Stanislaus County Sheriff to get this done."
Kelly explained that there were still a number of questions surrounding what led to the crime.
"We don't know [how she knew them]. All those details have to come out and we are not there yet," said Kelly. "It's likely that she did know these people. How they met up, why they met up, or what the back story is, I don't know at this time."
Alameda County sheriff's office detectives and crime lab scientists remained at the scene on Tesla Road as of Monday afternoon as they continued to process the area for evidence. Tesla Road remained closed until shortly before 6 p.m., according to the Dublin CHP office.
The suspects were transported to Alameda County, he said.
Investigators haven't yet determined at what location the 19-year-old victim was stabbed, according to Kelly.
© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.
