Overview
- A 36-year-old woman, identified as Cierra Tellez, was found dead inside the couple’s Mesa apartment after a 911 call and first responders arrived on the scene.
- The man who called 911, 37-year-old Kyle Collins, was arrested after detectives developed probable cause from evidence at the scene, interviews and a preliminary medical examiner review.
- Investigators say Tellez had significant injuries when she was found on Tuesday, July 21, and Collins was later booked on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
- Collins is being held on a cash-only bond of about $1,250,500 and is due back in Maricopa County court on July 29 while the homicide probe and forensic testing continue.
- Tellez’s family urged others to recognize signs of domestic abuse following prosecutors’ statements about Collins’s history, and reporters note the case may renew focus on resources for victims and how prosecutors build domestic-violence related cases.