Overview
- Plaza, 33, was arrested Thursday after a shelter-in-place as officers found him hiding in a salon basement near 75th Street and 23rd Avenue.
- He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the April 1 stabbing of his estranged wife, 28-year-old Makayla Plaza.
- During a Wednesday welfare check, an officer saw him dragging a body through a basement window and he ran after giving a false name.
- Police found Makayla stabbed in the home near 75th Street and 22nd Avenue, and two children were inside, with one saying, “Daddy used a knife.”
- Court records show Makayla’s February restraining order request was denied, and police noted a prior battery arrest without charges, raising questions about safeguards for abuse victims.