Murder charged in death of Maricopa woman

A Maricopa man has been charged with killing his wife, Olivia Cecelia Julian Figueroa, with a sword.

Miguel Figueroa, 45, was arrested Saturday night. He was booked on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and misconduct involving a weapon.

Residents of Maricopa Meadows first reported screaming to the Maricopa Police Department just after 6:30 p.m. One caller said a woman was in the bed of a Dodge pickup calling for help. MPD was unable to find the truck.

At 7:21 p.m., MPD received a call from Figueroa’s son, who said his father had assaulted him and pointed a gun at his mother while they were sitting in the pickup truck. At around 8 p.m., Figueroa’s daughter told MPD her father called her and told her he had killed their mother Olivia and left her in the desert.

Police located Figueroa at a residence near Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and John Wayne Parkway. According to the report, he was standing outside the residence “with a sword in hand and his clothing covered in blood.”

Police reported Figueroa was shouting “kill me, kill me” and “I killed her in the desert.” After he dropped the sword, he was taken into custody. According to the report, Figueroa allegedly told his mother he had killed Olivia by stabbing her multiple times.

The Dodge truck was found in a desert area near Garvey Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue. The body of Olivia Figueroa, 43, was then found more than 100 feet away with multiple wounds to the chest and arms.

The incident is being investigated by the MPD Criminal Investigation Unit. The cause of death will be determined by the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Figueroa’s bond is set at $750,000 on the assault charge. He has arraignment hearings set for Dec. 15 and Dec. 20. He had previous arrests in Pinal County on charges of possessing drug paraphernalia, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery.

According to court records, the couple married in 2000.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to those that are affected by this tragic event which led to the loss of their loved one,” MPD Chief Steve Stahl said. “Domestic violence is a continuing cause for concern within the City of Maricopa as well as throughout the country which will take everyone’s awareness and assistance to eliminate. The Maricopa Police Department continues to provide training, resources and partnerships to our officers and Victims Assistance personal in the on-going effort to end domestic violence crimes and break the cycle of violence.  I commend the first responding officers in their courage and restraint while taking Mr. Figueroa into custody without further loss of life.”