Washington state man, 28, is arrested for murder after a woman's head was found inside an abandoned car and the dismembered remains of another woman were discovered in the trunk
A Washington state man has been arrested for double murder after a woman's head was found in the back of an abandoned car and the dismembered remains of another woman were discovered inside the trunk.
Mauricio Nava-Garibay, 28, was arrested after authorities made the grim discovery when responding to reports of an abandoned vehicle in the area of 2200 West Charla Lane near Othello, eastern Washington state, Thursday.
Police said Nava-Garibay later confessed to killing the two women in a fight before cutting up their bodies because he said they 'were too heavy to lift' into the vehicle whole.
The names and ages of the victims have not been revealed. Investigators have potentially determined who one of the women is but their bodies are said to be in such poor condition that identification is difficult.
A Washington state man has been arrested for double murder after a woman's head was found in the back of an abandoned car and the dismembered remains of another woman were discovered inside the trunk
Adams County Sheriff's Office said it received a call about a suspicious vehicle with blood on the hood abandoned near the Edison Tracks around 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
Deputies arrived on the scene to find the 2014 Honda Accord with a blood-like substance, flesh and white hair on the outside.
They also saw a 'flesh appearing object' in the backseat of the car, reported KIMATV.
Closer inspection of the vehicle revealed what was described as 'flesh' hidden under a blanket on the back seat.
Deputies believed the remains were pieces of a human body but could not be sure and called in the state's crime lab.
Investigators then discovered a human head on the back floorboard and what was believed to be other possible human remains in the trunk.
Authorities later confirmed the remains belonged to two individuals.
Investigators were able to determine who the owner of the car was and potentially the identity of one of the victims, reported KIMATV.
It is not clear if this means the car belonged to one of the dismembered women.
A man seen walking away from the scene was then identified as Nava-Garibay and authorities learned he was connected in some way to the vehicle owner.
Nava-Garibay was detained for questioning by authorities.
Pictured Adams County Sheriff Dale J. Wagner. Deputies made the grim discovery when responding to reports of an abandoned vehicle in the area of 2200 West Charla Lane near Othello, eastern Washington state, Thursday
During a police interview, the 28-year-old allegedly confessed to murdering the two women.
He told officers he got into a physical fight with one of the women at her home on East Cypress Street and the other woman then also got involved, according to a probable cause document.
Nava-Garibay allegedly told cops he was fighting with the first woman inside her home when things became physical.
He told her he had a present for her in the garage, documents state.
When they both entered the garage, the suspect allegedly stabbed the woman in the neck with a knife.
He then punched her in the face, stabbed her multiple times in the body and strangled her with a belt and extension cord, reported KIMATV.
Authorities said Nava-Garibay said the second woman also entered the garage during the fight so he pushed her causing her to fall onto the car and then the ground, smashing her head on the concrete.
Nava-Garibay then allegedly grabbed her by the head and stabbed her in the back of the neck.
The suspect then cut the bodies of the victims into multiple pieces because he couldn't lift them, he allegedly confessed to officers.
Court documents say he stuffed the body parts into the car and drove them to the spot where he abandoned it.
It is not clear when the women were killed or how long the bodies were left inside the vehicle before Thursday's grim discovery.
However, the condition of the remains made the victims difficult to identify, authorities said.
It is also not clear how Nava-Garibay is connected to the two victims.
Nava-Garibay was booked into the Adams County Jail Thursday night on suspicion of two counts of murder in the first degree and two counts of removal or concealment of a body.
It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney.
Othello Police Department, Grant County Sheriff's Office, Washington State Patrol, Washington State Patrol Crime Lab Response Team and Moses Lake Police Department are assisting Adams County Sheriff's Office with the investigation.