An Arizona man with a history of scamming has been arrested after his criminal tendencies allegedly turned violent.
Derek Bollwinkel, whose age was unknown, was taken into custody on June 2 after being extradited from Salt Lake City, Utah.
According to court documents obtained by KPHO, a local CBS affiliate, Bollwinkel fled Arizona after allegedly killing his former neighbor, 82-year-old Linda Baran, in February.
According to police, Baran was found shot dead in her car on February 11, with her hands in the air as if she were surrendering.
According to court records, Bollwinkel was Baran’s neighbor until he was evicted three weeks before her death.
According to detectives, Baran was last seen alive on February 9, and Bollwinkel had allegedly been “aggressively asking her for money.” On the day of her death, the suspect was seen parking his van near Baran’s property.
KPNX, a local NBC affiliate, reported that Baran was located after her family requested a welfare check. When police arrived, they discovered Baran in the back seat of her car, which was in the garage.
According to court documents obtained by the station, Baran died as the result of a gunshot wound to her left side. Police determined that when she was shot, her hands were raised in a “surrender” position.
A neighbor saw Bollwinkel pull up around 6:15 p.m., after which he was reportedly seen running away from the house and returning to his van around 7 p.m. He then drove off. According to police, Bollwinkel was located at the scene using cellphone data.
According to court documents, Bollwinkel was caught using Baran’s debit card at an ATM approximately 20 minutes after the alleged murder. He allegedly tried to withdraw $10,000. He successfully withdrew $4,000.
According to KPHO, police did not provide information about how Bollwinkel was located in Salt Lake City. The suspect was arrested at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on a $1 million cash bond.
He was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and credit card fraud.
Bollwinkle was previously sued for consumer fraud in relation to a housing scam he ran with his wife. He was later convicted and sentenced to prison for forgery and criminal impersonation.
