The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on Saturday accused of kidnapping a woman and killing a man in southern Arizona on Friday.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carol Capas said 37-year-old Rynn Prairie-Rocca was responsible for the death of a man and the kidnapping of a woman, both of whom remained unidentified.
The incident started on Friday afternoon and ended on Saturday after a brief barricade situation, which prompted a shelter-in-place warning.
Here’s what we know about Prairie-Rocca and the deadly encounter that unfolded in Cochise County.
Woman kidnapped at gunpoint in home and taken in her vehicle
About 8:10 p.m. on Friday, the Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call that a woman had been kidnapped by a man in Pearce, a community about 30 minutes south of Willcox.
Deputies learned that about 3 p.m., the kidnapped woman, an unidentified 75-year-old, was held at gunpoint by a man, later identified as Prairie-Rocca.
The suspect entered her home before he restrained and blindfolded the woman, according to the Sheriff’s Office in a statement.
While blindfolded, the woman reported hearing several loud noises but was unaware of what the noises were.
Shortly after, the suspect took the woman to the back seat of her own vehicle and drove away, the Sheriff’s Office said.
While the suspect drove away from the home, the woman was reportedly able to escape the vehicle and call for help as he drove to a nearby Dollar General, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The woman sustained only minor injuries, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies find woman’s boyfriend dead at scene of kidnapping
The woman immediately told deputies that her boyfriend was back at the home where she was kidnapped, according to the Sheriff’s Office statement.
After deputies arrived and got no response from anyone inside, they entered the home, where they found a 67-year-old man dead.
The identity of the man or the kidnapped woman was not immediately available.
Search for slaying and kidnapping suspect ends in barricade situation
Deputies late Friday identified Prairie-Rocca as a suspect and warned the public he may have a large dog with him, according to the Sheriff’s Office statement.
The public’s help was sought to help locate the suspect, but the Sheriff’s Office warned to avoid contact with him.
About 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sheriff’s Office officials reported that deputies and other law enforcement were responding to a barricade situation about 20 minutes south of Pearce, near Catclaw Road and State Route 181. A shelter-in-place warning was issued, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
By about 1 p.m., deputies arrested Prairie-Rocca and the shelter-in-place order was lifted.
He was booked into the Cochise County Jail and his charges remained pending.
The motive for the kidnapping and slaying was not immediately known.
Capas of the Sheriff’s Office said Prairie-Rocca had a criminal history, with an incident as recently as 2023.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cochise County Sheriff’s Office: Woman kidnapped, boyfriend killed