A fugitive wanted in the slaying of his ex-girlfriend was captured Wednesday on Tucson's north side by federal marshals and police.
Mario Jesus Dorame, 43, was found shortly before 7 p.m. near East Grant and North Swan roads, and was arrested on a first-degree murder warrant, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.
He was booked into the Pima County jail, and is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond.
The warrant was obtained by Tucson police homicide detectives after they discovered Maria Dolores Escobedo's body on Oct. 1 inside Dorame's house in the 5500 block of South Tyndall Avenue.
A search warrant return states that detectives seized knives and scissors from Dorame's home, along with shoes, undergarments and a bath towel.
"We are experiencing a lot of emotions right now," said Escobedo's brother, Jose Tellez, in an interview Thursday night regarding Dorame's arrest. "The toll is emotional and physical," said Tellez, a captain with the Tohono O'odham Nation Fire Department in the San Xavier District.Β
"I am relieved he is off the streets. But, we are still grieving. We feel a lot of sadness and anger," said Tellez of his sister's slaying. Β
During a news conference organized by Homicide Survivors last month at the downtown Joel D. Valdez Main Library, members of Escobedo's family said they could not explain how or why Escobedo, 52, had a relationship with Dorame.
Escobedo's relatives shared details of her life and what made her special. At a young age, Escobedo, with a maternal instinct, helped care for her younger siblings while her parents and brothers worked in Marana's agricultural fields.
Jessica Escobedo, 31, said her mother "was taken from us too soon." She said she was proud of her mother's community work, including being named Woman of the Year in 2003 by the Marana Chamber of Commerce for her work at the town's food bank.
