Suspected Murderer Arrested in Los Angeles
A man suspected of killing a woman in Washington state has been apprehended in Los Angeles after his vehicle was found abandoned in Calabasas on Monday.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that 51-year-old Alexander Lee Rogers was taken into custody Tuesday in the Westlake area.
Rogers faces accusations of stabbing 73-year-old Andrew Peters and his sister-in-law, 64-year-old Dawn Peters. While Andrew Peters survived the attack, Dawn unfortunately did not make it.
According to Stephen Butler, Dawn’s nephew, Rogers had previously worked as a handyman at their home before the violent, unprovoked incident last Tuesday. Following the attack, Rogers reportedly fled more than 1,000 miles away.
“This seems like an unimaginable heartbreak. Every family is devastated and everyone is saddened in a different way, so everyone, pray for them,” said Jill Nunes, a family friend.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell noted that security guards identified Rogers around 12:45 PM on Tuesday, which led to his arrest.
Louis Martinez, a security guard at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, described seeing Rogers, saying, “The image I saw this morning was sticking to me… he had a very unusual look on his face, and I think that sparked my reaction to point him out.” Martinez recalled making eye contact with Rogers, who seemed nervous, biting his lip and quickening his pace.
On Monday, before his arrest, a vehicle linked to Rogers was found abandoned in Woodland Hills, prompting police to search the area for leads.
It’s worth noting that Rogers had a troubled past; he began working as a handyman after serving a 20-year sentence for attempted murder in the early 2000s. This previous charge stemmed from a machete attack during a robbery.
Longview Police Station Captain Brandon McNude called the incident “horrifying,” explaining that Rogers knew the victims through past family connections and may have been working for them in recent months.
Interestingly, McNude revealed that just two hours prior to the stabbing, Rogers had a run-in with police over vehicle licensing issues in a parking lot, but at that moment, the encounter merely resulted in a verbal warning.
As investigations continue, the community is left grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event.
