An Arizona murder suspect is being extradited from Mississippi following his arrest in connection with the death of a young woman in Tolleson, according to the Tolleson Police Department.
Investigators identified 27-year-old Randal Basilio Santillan as the suspect in the January homicide of 18-year-old Yessenia Gabriella Norman. Santillan was taken into custody in Mississippi on Friday, after what police described as a multi-agency effort involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local authorities. Once back in Arizona, he will face charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
The case began on January 28, when officers responded to an apartment complex near 91st Avenue and Van Buren Street after reports of a possible deceased person. Inside, police found Norman’s body with apparent stab wounds. The apartment, investigators later confirmed, was leased to Santillan.
Detectives believe Norman and Santillan met through a social media dating site. Norman reportedly left her own apartment on January 15 to meet him and never returned. Her roommate filed a missing person report with the Phoenix Police Department four days later.
During their investigation, police determined that Santillan fled Arizona soon after the killing, prompting a search that led authorities to Mississippi. Evidence gathered from the scene and digital records eventually led to the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.
Tolleson Police say the cooperation between federal and state agencies was instrumental in locating and apprehending Santillan. Once extradited, he will be booked into an Arizona jail to await court proceedings.
