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A tragic online dating encounter escalated into a widespread search after an Arizona teenager was discovered stabbed to death.
Randal Basilio Santillan, 27, was arrested in Mississippi, concluding a cross-state pursuit related to the murder of 18-year-old Yessenia Gabriella Norman, as reported by KTUU.
Santillan was taken into custody by police in Biloxi at approximately 7 a.m. on Friday. He now faces serious charges, including first-degree murder and kidnapping.
The investigation was set in motion on January 28 when police in Tolleson, Arizona, found Norman’s body in an apartment linked to Santillan, located near 91st Avenue and Interstate 10. According to FOX 10, the victim suffered 27 stab wounds.
Detectives discovered that Norman and Santillan had connected through a dating app and had exchanged numerous texts on January 15. Shortly thereafter, Norman left her transitional housing in Phoenix to meet Santillan.
Security footage from a doorbell camera captured the teen leaving her residence that evening, carrying only her purse. She was never seen alive again.
Police believe Norman died in the early morning hours of January 16. Her roommate reported her missing on January 19.
Friends and family told investigators that Norman had been excited to begin classes at Glendale Community College later that week, ABC 15 reported.
Authorities utilized license plate reader technology to trace Santillan’s vehicle before locating him in Mississippi.
The arrest was a coordinated effort involving the Tolleson Police Department, the FBI, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Biloxi Police Department. FBI agents monitored Santillan in Biloxi before local officers moved in to make the arrest.
Santillan is currently being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center in Mississippi, awaiting extradition to Arizona to face charges, according to KTUU.
[Feature Photo: Yessenia Gabriella Norman/X]