A 32-year-old man in Tucson, Arizona, faces first-degree murder charges after allegedly strangling his 28-year-old girlfriend to death in front of their three young children. Police arrested Martine Mayorquin at the scene on the 600 block of North Dodge Boulevard. The victim, Katlynne Roy, was pronounced dead from apparent strangulation trauma.
Tucson police responded just before 6 p.m. on Monday to reports of a commotion at an apartment on the 600 block of North Dodge Boulevard. Neighbors had heard screaming and crying children, prompting them to alert the property manager. The manager discovered Katlynne Roy unresponsive on the floor with Martine Mayorquin standing over her, while the children—aged 7, 5, and 3—were huddled in a bathroom crying. Officers found signs of strangulation on Roy, who was declared dead at the scene, according to the probable cause affidavit and police statements. Prosecutors also charged Mayorquin with three counts of child abuse. After his arrest, Mayorquin admitted to placing Roy in a rear naked choke hold for three minutes, pausing briefly, then applying it again for five minutes until she was unresponsive, Tucson police said. He attributed scratches on his chest and back to Roy fighting back. At his first court appearance, Mayorquin's public defender noted his lack of prior criminal history and requested lower bail. However, the judge approved prosecutors' request for a $1 million bond. Mayorquin remains in Pima County Jail, with his next hearing scheduled for April 24.