Man accused of killing woman in California, posting video of murder on Facebook
By Hannah Nicol
Members of San Mateo Police Department (SMPD) California arrested a man who allegedly stabbed a woman dead and posted the video of the incident on Facebook on Wednesday, July 26.
Police identified the suspect as Mark Mechikoff, 39, of Pacifica, California.
The victim was identified as Claribel Marie Estrella, 41.
According to San Mateo Police, they were notified by the Nye County Sheriff's Office in Nevada around at 3:48 p.m. that a woman called them reporting that she saw a video of a stabbing incident posted on Facebook.
The sheriff’s office informed the police of the name of the suspect and the phone number associated to his Facebook account where he posted the video.
The SMPD responded to the crime scene in a large apartment complex on 37th Avenue in San Mateo.
Authorities conducted a door-to-door interrogation within the area to find the potential victim and/or suspect.
According to SMPD, after almost three hours of searching, operatives located the remains of the victim in a unit on 36th Avenue, part of the same apartment complex.
Mechikoff was not found at the crime scene, but his identity had been established. He was arrested by the SMPD within two hours in San Jose.
"While the motive for stabbing the victim is still under investigation, we do know Mechikoff mercilessly filmed the last moments of the victim's life and posted the video to Facebook, then fled the area," SMPD said.
Suspect will face appropriate charges, police said.