Three young children were inside the home when Katlynne Roy was fatally strangled, police say.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Three children were found crying in a bathroom after their mother was fatally attacked inside a Tucson home, police said, and their presence now anchors child abuse charges against the man accused of killing her.
Martine Mayorquin, 32, is accused of first-degree murder in the death of Katlynne Roy, 28, and three counts of domestic violence child abuse. Authorities said the children, ages 7, 5 and 3, were inside the North Dodge Boulevard residence during the April 13 attack. One child later told investigators he saw his father choking his mother, according to the complaint. Prosecutors said at Mayorquin’s first appearance that he admitted strangling Roy twice until she was no longer responsive.
The children were not the first people to reach police, but their cries helped bring adults to the door. A neighbor heard children screaming and crying in a nearby room and contacted the property manager. Other callers had reported a commotion to 911 shortly before 6 p.m. The property manager went to the home in the 600 block of North Dodge Boulevard, opened the door and found Roy on the floor, authorities said. Mayorquin was standing over her. The children were in the bathroom, crying. Officers arrived moments later and found Roy unresponsive. Police said she had apparent strangulation trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. The home, near Dodge Boulevard and Fifth Street, was secured while detectives began treating the death as a homicide. Tucson police later said there was no continuing threat to the public.
Investigators said the oldest details in the public record came from what people heard before they saw anything: a commotion, screams and children crying. The next details came from the doorway. The property manager saw Roy down and the children apart from the adults. Officers then documented injuries, including trauma to Roy’s neck and at least one eye that the complaint said were consistent with strangulation. Police also noted scratches on Mayorquin’s chest and back. According to the complaint, Mayorquin said the scratches came from Roy fighting back. The record also says he attempted to render aid, but Roy died at the scene. Authorities have not released a final autopsy report, a full medical timeline or a detailed explanation of how long Roy may have been unresponsive before officers arrived.
The children’s status is one of the most guarded parts of the case. Police have not released their names, their current living arrangement or whether they were physically injured. The child abuse charges point to the alleged danger and trauma of witnessing the attack. Prosecutors said in court that the children were 7, 5 and 3 and were present when Mayorquin strangled Roy. One child’s statement that he saw the choking adds direct witness evidence to the case, according to the complaint. Authorities have not said whether all three children were interviewed, whether forensic child interview specialists were used or whether any recorded statements exist. Because the children are minors, many details may remain sealed or limited in public filings as the case proceeds.
The adult statements described by police were also central. After officers advised Mayorquin of his Miranda rights, he allegedly told them he choked Roy twice. The complaint said he described using a rear naked choke hold for about three minutes, stopping for about two minutes and then using the hold again for about five minutes. The complaint also said he punched Roy twice in the mouth between the chokings. At a first court appearance, a major crimes official summarized the allegation by saying Mayorquin admitted strangling Roy twice in front of the children until she was no longer responsive. The reported statement gives prosecutors a direct account to pair with physical evidence and witness observations. Mayorquin has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations unless proven in court.
Roy’s death was first announced publicly as a homicide investigation, then as a domestic violence case after police named Mayorquin as the suspect. Officers responded to the 600 block of North Dodge Boulevard on April 13. The next day, Tucson police identified Roy as the victim and said detectives had found probable cause to arrest Mayorquin on suspicion of domestic violence first-degree murder and three counts of domestic violence child abuse. The following court hearing brought the most detailed public description of the alleged attack. The police and court accounts did not name a motive. They did not say whether a fight began before the choking, whether anyone else was inside the home or whether officers had previously been called there. Those unknowns leave the public timeline limited to the sounds heard by neighbors, the property manager’s entry, the officers’ arrival and Mayorquin’s alleged post-arrest statement.
At the first appearance, prosecutors asked the judge for a $1 million bond. The defense asked for less and said Mayorquin had no prior criminal history. The judge set the bond at the amount prosecutors requested. That decision kept Mayorquin in custody at the Pima County Jail unless he could meet release conditions. The early reports listed his next court date as April 24. Future hearings could address formal charging documents, discovery, possible witness testimony, medical evidence and any challenge to statements made after arrest. The child witnesses may affect how prosecutors present the case, because courts often take extra steps when minors are involved in violent crime proceedings. No public filing reviewed for the initial reports described a plea or a trial date.
The case also shows how quickly a private home can become a public criminal scene when children are heard in distress. The public record does not include broad statements from relatives or neighbors beyond the reported call to the property manager and 911. It does, however, describe a chain of actions that began with people nearby hearing children cry. That chain led a property manager to the door, then brought officers to a scene where Roy could not be revived. Police have released only limited details since the first updates. Mayorquin remained charged in Roy’s death, and the next milestones were expected to come through Pima County court proceedings and any later findings from investigators or the medical examiner.
Author note: Last updated May 7, 2026.