Records: Tucson woman killed by sister's harasser

A woman found shot to death last week was killed by a man who had been harassing her sister, Tucson police and court documents say.

Avanti Antonio Pitko, 25, is jailed in the fatal shooting of Bailea Rae McDermott, 24.

Her sister, who'd been targeted for harassment by Pitko after she rejected him, found McDermott's body April 6, inside their house in the 4300 block of East Linden Street, police said in a news release.

McDermott’s sister had been seeing Pitko for about three weeks, but declined to be in an exclusive relationship with him, according to an interim complaint filed in the Pima County Justice Court.

The next day, the tires on her car were slashed while she was working at a hair salon. Since the salon had security cameras, the owner told her that the footage would be ready for her the next day, the complaint said.

She then called Pitko and told him what happened. She also told him about the surveillance footage she was expecting to get.

Police and firefighters went to the salon about 2 a.m. April 6, after police say a thin man driving a white car tried to break in and set the business on fire, the complaint said.

As the woman got ready for work later that morning, she found the word “slut” spray-painted on her driveway. At work, the woman watched the video of the tire slashing and identified Pitko as the man vandalizing the car, the complaint said.

She also watched footage from the arson attempt. The man in that video wore a mask and she was unable to confirm it was Pitko. However, she did note that the would-be arsonist had a body like Pitko, the complaint said.

Later in the day, the woman called her sister and told her all that had happened. Concerned for their safety, the women decided to go home at the same time, the complaint said.

But the woman arrived about 10 minutes later than her sister. She found McDermott on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds, the complaint said.

McDermott was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Three spent 9mm casings and a hat were found on the ground near McDermott's body.

Police said there were no signs of forced entry, but that it looked like someone tried to smash a window with a brick.

Police also noted the house had a large doggy door.

When detectives talked to Pitko’s mother and brother, they said Pitko had told them that he shot his girlfriend. The brother was also able to identify the hat found at the scene as Pitko’s, the complaint said.

Officers arrested Pitko on the city’s east side.

He told police he got upset after seeing the woman at her house with another man. He then slashed her tires.

He also told officers he bought a bottle of gasoline and lit the salon on fire, the complaint said.

Pitko refused to answer questions about the fatal shooting.

Pitko was jailed on suspicion of first degree murder, first degree burglary, arson of an occupied structure and domestic violence/criminal damage. 

Bond was set at $500,000.