In Florida, a man is facing charges for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend 15 times at their residence. He later confessed to the crime in a recorded 911 call, as reported by local media.
Kyle Sanchez, aged 35, has entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder involving a weapon in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 37-year-old Amanda Roark, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities responded to an emergency call around 3 p.m. on June 19 at a home on Tuscan Loon Drive in the Palm River vicinity, where deputies were dispatched to the scene.
Officials from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported that Kyle Sanchez, 35, allegedly took the life of his girlfriend, Amanda Roark, 37, during an incident at their shared residence. Sanchez faces charges of premeditated first-degree murder with a weapon. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Upon their arrival, deputies discovered Roark deceased with multiple injuries to her upper body. Sanchez, who was present at the scene, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Tampa General Hospital, where he was in stable condition, according to the sheriff’s office.
Detectives later determined Sanchez killed Roark while the two were inside the home together, according to authorities.
During a pretrial detention hearing, prosecutors played Sanchez’s 911 call, in which he told a dispatcher, “I murdered my girlfriend.” (Fox 13 Tampa)
FOX 13 Tampa reported that Sanchez is accused of stabbing Roark 15 times. During a pretrial detention hearing, prosecutors played Sanchez’s 911 call, in which he told a dispatcher, “I murdered my girlfriend.”
After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge denied Sanchez bond. He will remain in custody as the first-degree murder case moves forward.
Authorities have not released a motive or additional details about what led up to the fatal attack.
Roark worked at SOFWERX, a Tampa-based technology organization that describes itself as “an innovation platform for the United States Special Operations Command,” which remembered her as a cherished teammate and “a light in the Tampa community.”
“We are heartbroken by the loss of our Teammate Amanda Roark,” SOFWERX said in a statement. “Amanda was a cherished member of the SOFWERX family and a light in the Tampa community. Her warmth, her dedication, and the genuine care she brought to everyone around her made a lasting impact that words cannot fully capture.”
Talia Landman said Amanda Roark was an engineer and a mentor. She believes she someday would have become an astronaut. (Fox 13 Tampa)
Roark’s college friend, Talia Landman, told FOX 13 that Roark was “an absolute light” who welcomed everyone with a “gigantic smile.”
“She was taken from us in such a horrific, tragic, and just, I mean, terrible, scary way,” Landman told the station.
Landman said Roark was a talented engineer who mentored young women pursuing careers in math, technology and engineering. She told FOX 13 that she believed Roark could have had a future with NASA missions to the moon in the next decade.
“He didn’t just kill or murder his girlfriend. He took away Amanda Roark,” Landman said. “He took her life as this woman who had so much going for her.”
The sheriff’s office said the case appeared to be domestic-related.