Police found the victim, Cierra Tellez, dead on the scene with “severe injuries”
Credit: 3TV/CBS5.
NEED TO KNOW
- An Arizona man has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping after his girlfriend was found dead
- Kyle Collins initially called 911 and claimed he found Cierra Tellez unresponsive in their apartment
- He was described by a prosecutor as “a very dangerous individual” and is currently being held on a bond of $1,250,500
An Arizona man claimed he came home and found his girlfriend unresponsive, prompting a call to 911. He now faces murder and kidnapping charges.
Officials with the Mesa Police Department (MPD) and local emergency services were dispatched to an apartment complex in downtown Mesa shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday, July 21, after receiving a report of a medical emergency, local outlets ABC 15, Fox 10 and AZ Family reported.
The caller, later identified as Kyle Collins, told emergency dispatch that he had come home to find his girlfriend unresponsive. Collins, 37, additionally claimed he attempted to perform CPR on her, per the outlets.
Police and first responders arrived on the scene to find the woman, who was later identified as Cierra Tellez, dead in the apartment with “significant injuries.”
Collins and Tellez, 36, lived in the apartment together and were in a relationship, according to ABC 15, Fox 10 and AZ Family, which cited police.
After a preliminary investigation, authorities determined there was probable cause to arrest Collins in relation to the incident, and he was arrested on Friday, July 24, on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping, the outlets reported.
“This was a very brutal and horrific murder,” a prosecutor said during Collins’ initial court appearance, video from the hearing, shared by AZ Family, shows.
“We believe that Mr. Collins is a very dangerous individual,” the prosecutor added.
Collins is currently being held on a bond of $1,250,500, AZ Family and Fox 10 reported.
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Speaking with AZ Family, a neighbor of the couple said he was “speechless” over Tellez’s death.
The individual, who wished to remain anonymous, told the outlet that he had played Monopoly with Collins the evening before the alleged murder, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“Everything was fine, nothing was off,” he recalled.
However, the neighbor told AZ Family he saw Collins the following morning — the day of the 911 call — and he appeared extremely upset. The neighbor said Collins told him he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend.
“He came out, flipping out,” the nearby resident told the outlet. “He came and knocked on my door and was telling me about it, and then went and called his mom and was on the phone with his mom for an hour.”
The man said that Collins then claimed he was heading to work. Prosecutors said, however, that Collins’ boss stated he did not show up that day, per AZ Family.
An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
The MPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, July 26. It is not immediately clear if Collins has legal representation to comment on his behalf.
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