Tucson Police announced they have arrested a suspect in the April 6 murder of a 24-year-old woman.
Police were called to the 4300 block of E. Linden St. on April 6 after a 911 caller reported discovering one of their family members dead.
Bailea Rae McDermott, 24, was found inside with signs of gunshot trauma.
TPD's Homicide Unit took over the investigation and identified 25-year-old Avanti Antonio Pitko as the suspect.
A group of TPD SWAT and Midtown Community Response Team members were able to locate Pitko on the east side of Tucson. He was detained without incident and taken to TPD Headquarters.
TPD learned that Pitko and McDermott were not acquaintances, but he was in a previous relationship with another person living in the home.
Pitko has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held in the Pima County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
——-
Emma Miller is a producer for KGUN 9. Originally from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Emma graduated from Fordham University in 2021 where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. In April 2021, Emma became the first woman researcher in MLB and NHL Network history. She joined the KGUN 9 family in August 2022 after falling in love with Tucson.
