Police say neighbors heard screams before officers found Katlynne Roy dead inside a North Dodge Boulevard home.

TUCSON, Ariz. — A 32-year-old Tucson man is accused of killing his girlfriend inside a midtown home April 13 while their three young children were nearby, police said, after neighbors reported screams and officers found the woman dead on the floor.

Martine Mayorquin faces first-degree murder and three counts of domestic violence child abuse in the death of Katlynne Roy, 28. The case moved quickly from a 911 call to a first appearance in court, where prosecutors said Mayorquin admitted choking Roy twice in front of children ages 7, 5 and 3. A judge set bond at $1 million after a defense attorney sought a lower amount and said Mayorquin had no prior criminal history.

The first report came just before 6 p.m. Monday, April 13, from the 600 block of North Dodge Boulevard, near East Fifth Street. Police said 911 callers reported hearing a commotion at a nearby residence. According to complaint details described by local authorities, a neighbor heard children screaming and crying in the room next door and contacted the property manager. The property manager went to check on the apartment and opened the door. Inside, authorities said, Roy was lying on the ground and Mayorquin was standing over her. The children were in a bathroom, crying. Responding officers found Roy unresponsive with apparent trauma to her neck. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Tucson police later identified the case as a domestic violence homicide and said detectives had developed probable cause to arrest Mayorquin.

The complaint gives investigators’ account of what they say happened after police arrived. One child told authorities he saw his father choking his mother, according to reporting on the complaint. After receiving Miranda warnings, Mayorquin allegedly told officers he had choked Roy twice. Law enforcement records described the hold as a rear naked choke, a term commonly used for an arm hold around the neck. Investigators said Mayorquin reported holding Roy for about three minutes, stopping for about two minutes and then putting her in the hold again for about five minutes. The complaint also said Mayorquin punched Roy in the mouth twice between the chokings. Police noted injuries to Roy’s neck and at least one eye that were consistent with strangulation. Mayorquin had scratches on his chest and back, which authorities said he attributed to Roy fighting back. Officials have not released a full autopsy report or a final medical examiner’s finding.

The North Dodge Boulevard address became the center of the investigation within minutes of the call. Police said there was no ongoing threat to the public after officers secured the scene. The first public update from Tucson police described a homicide investigation near Dodge Boulevard and Fifth Street, then named Roy the next day. The case drew attention because the alleged assault happened in a home where three children were present. Prosecutors told the court at the first appearance that the children were Roy and Mayorquin’s children. The child abuse counts are tied to what investigators say the children witnessed and experienced inside the residence. Authorities have not publicly described the children’s current placement or whether additional relatives are involved in their care. The children’s names have not been released because they are minors and witnesses in a criminal case.

Mayorquin was booked into the Pima County Jail after the arrest. At his first court appearance April 14, prosecutors asked for a $1 million bond, citing the murder allegation, the age of the children and the account that Roy was choked until she was no longer responsive. A public defender argued for a lower bond and said Mayorquin did not have a prior criminal record. The judge granted the prosecution’s request. The charges are allegations, and Mayorquin is presumed innocent unless convicted in court. His next listed court date in the early reports was April 24. Public court databases in Arizona note that online records can change and may not include all felony case information, so the most current docket status was not fully clear from the initial public reports.

The account released by police and described in court places several people near the scene before officers arrived. Neighbors heard a disturbance, children were crying, a property manager entered the home and then police found Roy on the floor. The short sequence matters because investigators are relying on several types of evidence: what witnesses heard, what the property manager saw, what one child reported, what officers observed and what Mayorquin allegedly said after he was advised of his rights. Prosecutors highlighted the alleged admission at the first appearance. A major crimes official said in court that Mayorquin admitted strangling Roy twice in front of the three children until she was no longer responsive. Investigators also documented scratches on Mayorquin and injuries to Roy. Officials have not said whether there was video from the property, whether any prior calls had been made to the address or whether additional forensic testing was pending.

For now, the case now rests with prosecutors as they move from the arrest stage into formal court proceedings. Police have released only limited information, and several key questions remain open, including Roy’s official cause and manner of death, the full timeline inside the apartment and whether prosecutors will present more evidence from medical records, child interviews or scene processing. Mayorquin remained held on the $1 million bond listed in the first reports. The next public milestone was the scheduled April 24 court appearance, with further hearings expected to address the status of the charges and evidence.

Author note: Last updated May 7, 2026.