Lauren Heike murder: Man arrested after woman killed in brutal attack on hiking trail, police say
Police have made an arrest in the case of an Arizona hiker killed in Phoenix. Lauren Heike was found dead along a desert-area hiking trail.
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- An arrest has been made in the killing of a woman found dead after an attack along an Arizona hiking trail, police said, CNN reported.
Zion William Teasley, 22, was arrested Thursday evening, Sgt. Melissa Soliz of the Phoenix Police Department said.
Teasley has been charged with first-degree murder. The arrest came less than a week after Lauren Heike, 29, was found dead along a desert-area hiking trail in northeast Phoenix.
Heike was out for a hike Friday morning when she was fatally attacked from behind, Phoenix Police Homicide Lt. James Hester said at a news conference Wednesday. He declined to provide details on Heike's injuries or her cause of death.
Her body was found Saturday morning near the 6500 block of East Libby Street, police said.
Heike's mother, who was at the news conference Wednesday, described her daughter as "beautiful inside and out."
"She had such a kind heart, everybody who met her loved her," Lana Heike said.
Teasley is the same person seen running in a short surveillance clip released during the investigation, Soliz said.
The man in the video was described as being between 5-foot-8 and 6-feet tall. He was wearing dark clothing and a backpack.
ABC News contributed to this report.
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Source: WLS-TV
