PHOENIX — An Arizona woman is accused of intentionally running over a man she recently met through a dating app and killing him, authorities said.
According to Maricopa County online court records, Mikela Antresa Bahe, 30, is facing charges of second-degree murder, theft-means of transportation, and leaving the scene of an accident involving death or injury.
A news release from the Phoenix Police Department stated that Bahe was charged in connection with the May 3 death of Norris L. Taft
Shortly after 4 p.m. MT on that day, police and fire crews were called to the parking lot of an apartment complex, KTVK reported. Officers found Taft suffering from serious injuries and he was transported to an area hospital.
Taft later died at the hospital, police said.
Apartment surveillance video showed a woman, who was later identified as Bahe, walking downstairs into the parking lot and getting into a black Cadillac Escalade SUV shortly before the crash, USA Today reported.
Taft was seen stepping in front of the SUV in an apparent effort to get the driver to stop, according to KTVK. At that point, Bahe allegedly hit Taft, who was dragged beneath the vehicle, the television station reported.
“There is strong evidence in this case from surveillance footage that captured the defendant running over the victim,” prosecutors said during Bahe’s first court appearance Friday. “(It) certainly looked like it was intentional, as she was accelerating even though the victim was in front of the car with his hands up.”
According to court documents, the SUV had been registered to Taft, USA Today reported. The vehicle had been reported as stolen, with only Taft allowed to operate it.
Taft’s nephew, who was contacted by detectives, said that the victim had spoken to Taft hours before his death, according to USA Today. Taft allegedly said he met a woman on a dating app called MocoSpace and was going to pick her up, KTVK reported.
Taft allegedly texted his nephew several minutes later, saying he had been “catfished” because the woman did not look like the profile on the dating app, according to the television station.
Taft added he was attempting to cut the date short.
Police were able to identify Bahe after reviewing surveillance video at several businesses she visited with Taft, including a Curaleaf dispensary and a Shell gasoline station, KTVK reported.
Detectives used purchase history at the dispensary to identify the woman as Bahe, according to USA Today.
According to police, Bahe took a Groom shuttle from Phoenix to Flagstaff. Detectives were able to identify Bahe as the suspect through surveillance video, which showed her at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport boarding the shuttle, KSAZ reported.
She was arrested by Flagstaff police without incident on May 6 outside a Denny’s restaurant and was returned to Phoenix, KTVK reported.
Bahe was scheduled to attend a status conference on Wednesday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, online records show. She is being held on a $1 million bond, court records show.