Man, 54, arrested in attack on woman
An order of protection didn't keep a man from trying to kill his former roommate, according to police.
Richard J. Wojcik, 54, fled on foot and was tracked down by police dogs early Saturday morning shortly after he reportedly stabbed his former roommate at her home in the 10100 block of East Essex Village Drive, on the east side, said Officer Linda Galindo, a spokeswoman for the Tucson Police Department.
The woman had life-threatening injuries and as of Saturday night, was in stable condition at a local hospital.
A second resident of the house, who tried to intervene in the attack, received minor injuries. The attacks took place just before midnight Friday.
The woman had called police earlier Friday evening to report seeing the suspect nearby. Wojcik was approached by police and served with an order of protection, prohibiting contact with the victim. Officers escorted him away, but Wojcik returned an hour later, forced his way into the house and attacked the victims, police said.
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Wojcik was booked into the Pima County jail. He is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault causing serious physical injury, Galindo said.
Wojcik was released from prison in March after serving a sentence for aggravated domestic violence, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections website.
Kimberly Matas
Burned body found at Ironwood Forest
A man was shot to death and burned northwest of Tucson early Saturday, authorities said.
About 4:30 a.m., a Border Patrol agent saw a vehicle enter Ironwood Forest National Monument, then shortly after that heard a gunshot and saw flames coming from an area near Reservation and Mile Wide roads, said Deputy Jason Ogan, a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokesman.
The vehicle, described as a "blacked-out truck," then drove away on Reservation Road at high speed, Ogan said. Border Patrol agents chased the vehicle but eventually lost sight of it.
In the area where the agent saw flames, deputies found the body of a man, shot and with burns to most of his body, Ogan said.
Brian J. Pedersen
East-side apartment is destroyed in fire
An electrical fire gutted one east-side apartment and left another with smoke and water damage on Saturday.
Just after 2:30 p.m. firefighters were called to a second-story blaze at a complex in the 300 block of North Pantano Road between East Broadway and Speedway. The apartment was engulfed in flames, said Tucson Fire Department spokeswoman Tricia Tracy. A hole was cut in the roof of the apartment to vent the heat, which allowed firefighters to contain the blaze to one apartment.
The fire caused an estimated $150,000 in damage. The apartment below had smoke and water damage. No one was injured, but the tenants from both apartments were displaced.
"The apartment manager did an excellent job of making sure we had access to the apartments. He had the keys ready," Tracy said. "He also was ready to provide up to six families with units to stay in. It was very helpful, and we appreciate it."
The fire started accidentally in a multiplug electrical adapter.
Tracy stressed the importance of following manufacturers' instructions for electrical appliances and not overloading extension cords and adapters. A working smoke alarm with fresh batteries is a key to surviving a house fire. She suggested testing the alarm monthly and changing the batteries annually.
"You increase the chances of surviving a fire by about 50 percent if you have a working smoke detector in the home," said Tracy, who noted that most home fires occur between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The alarm, she said, "is what will wake you up. The smoke will actually put you into deeper sleep."
Kimberly Matas
On StarNet: Find an interactive map of reported crimes in the city of Tucson, updated every morning with the previous day's data, at go.azstarnet.com/crime
