A Tucson man accused of killing the mother of his 3-month-old son was arrested Thursday after police found her body in the desert on the Southeast Side.
Eric Dewayne Hill, 36, was booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the slaying of Angela Gayden, 21, said Sgt. Mark Robinson, a Tucson Police Department spokes-man. Hill's bond is $1 million.
The pair had a 3-month-old boy, Robinson said. The child was unharmed.
Gayden's body was found Thursday afternoon in the desert near Interstate 10 and South Wilmot Road one day after police got a tip from a person who said a woman may have been missing and likely was the victim of foul play, Robinson said.
The caller did not know the woman's name, but said the suspect was "Eric" and he may have left her body in the desert, according to Robinson. Within hours of receiving the call, authorities identified both the victim and the suspect.
Police went to Gayden's home in the 100 block of West Navajo Road where they found forensic evidence that a violent crime may have been committed there, Robinson said.
After identifying several addresses with which Hill was associated, police took him into custody at 2 a.m. Thursday, Robinson said.
Gayden's body was found about 2:30 p.m. during a ground and air search, he said.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the victim's cause of death as well as the date of death.
The couple's son was left with relatives and remained in their care Thursday night, Robinson said. Hill reportedly lived with Gayden.
This is the second homicide of the year in the city.
Hill served a year in prison after being convicted of a drug violation, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections' Web site. Online court records show he has also been arrested on a number of other charges, including assault, aggravated assault, criminal negligence, armed robbery, theft, criminal damage, disorderly conduct and domestic violence.
