Washington Man Allegedly Lured Girlfriend Into Garage With Promise Of A Gift, Then Killed Her And Second Woman

A Washington man has allegedly confessed that he lured his girlfriend into a garage with the promise of a present, then stabbed her in the neck and strangled her to death with an extension cord before killing a second woman who had walked in on the slaying, according to police.

Mauricio Nava-Garibay, 28, was booked on Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder after authorities found the women’s dismembered bodies in an abandoned vehicle in Othello, according to statements from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

A caller alerted authorities about the 2014 Honda Accord after spotting what appeared to be blood on the hood of the vehicle. Officers arrived at the scene to find a “flesh appearing object” in the backseat of the car, as well as flesh, blood and white hair on the outside of the vehicle, according to a probable cause statement obtained by Oxygen.com.

When authorities opened the vehicle, they discovered a woman’s head inside the car on the back floorboard, while more dismembered human remains were strewn throughout the car, according to the report.

After securing a search warrant for the vehicle, the Washington State Crime Lab discovered the dismembered remains of a second victim in the trunk of the car, authorities said.

Investigators believe the remains belong to 57-year-old Dora Martinez and 30-year-old Guadalupe Martinez.

It’s unknown what relationship the two women have with each other. However, Guadalupe Martinez is described in the court documents as an adult with autism and had the “mental capacity of a five or six-year-old.”

The vehicle had been registered to Dora Martinez, who had reportedly been dating Nava-Garibay.

Surveillance footage captured from the scene appeared to show a man matching the description of Nava-Garibay walking away from the scene, court documents said.

After tracking him down, Nava-Garibay agreed to an interview and allegedly told authorities that he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend Wednesday night at her home and she had hit him in the face, according to court records.

About five minutes later, Nava-Garibay allegedly lured her into the garage and told her that he had a present to give her.

But instead of presenting her with a gift, detectives said he told them he stabbed her in the neck with a knife, punched her in the face, then stabbed her again repeatedly in the torso. Nava-Garibay also allegedly confessed to strangling her with a belt and an extension cord.

As the violence ensued, Guadalupe Martinez allegedly stumbled upon the grisly scene. Nava-Garibay told authorities that he shoved her, knocking her to the ground, then slit the back of her neck.

He dismembered the bodies after realizing they were too heavy to lift into the car, authorities said.

Investigators said Nava-Garibay then drove the bodies to Charla Road, where he left the vehicle before walking back to their home.

A 911 caller would later report finding a set of bloody clothes in the trash about three miles from where the vehicle had been abandoned, police said. Nava-Garibay later told deputies that he had been wearing the blood-soaked clothes at the time of the slaying, according to the probable cause statement. As he was being arrested, he was also asked to remove his clothes. At that point, detectives noticed a blood-like substance covering his tank top.

Nava-Garibay allegedly told authorities he had been wearing the tank top when he killed the women, according to court records.

Nava-Garibay is currently being held on a $1 million bond, according to the sheriff’s office.