PHOENIX, AZ. (THECOUNT) — Kristina Howato has been identified as the victim stabbed to death, along with her unborn child, by a passenger while driving for Lyft in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday night.
Howato, 39, was stabbed to death by 20-year-old Fabian Durazo, while inside her 2005 Mercury SUV, after the suspect contacted Lyft requesting a ride after 1 a.m. on Sunday. The involved parties did not know each other before the fatal stabbing.
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When Howato’s vehicle arrived at the Tempe address, Durazo began to stab Howato repeatedly while inside the SUV and continued the attack outside of the vehicle, reports daily-times.
Durazo then fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle.
Responding police and paramedics found Howato suffering from multiple stab wounds.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. The unborn child also died in the horrific attack.
Durazo was arrested Monday while driving the victim’s car on Interstate 10 near Quartzsite, Arizona, according to Tempe Police Department. The vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracking device.
Police said Durazo confessed to the killing shortly after being taken into custody.
He is being held on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of vehicle theft, one count of armed robbery and one count of kidnapping, police said.
Officials for the ride-sharing company Lyft issued the following statement Monday:
“We were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of this tragedy, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims,” the company said. “The safety of the Lyft community is our top priority. The passenger’s account has been permanently deactivated and we are actively assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”
Howato, who was in her third trimester of pregnancy, of was the mother of two other children, ages 2 and 4, police said.
Geo quick facts: Quartzsite, the place the suspect was captured, is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population was 3,677. Interstate 10 runs directly through Quartzsite which is at the intersection of U.S. Route 95 and Arizona State Route 95 with I-10 – Wikipedia.