The 55-year-old woman killed was identified as America Mafalda Thayer, the police said.
A 42-year-old man is charged in connection with the gruesome killing of his girlfriend who was found beheaded on a Minneapolis sidewalk. Police reportedly said that he attacked her when she said she wanted to end their relationship.
Alexis Saborit was charged Friday in Scott City with one felony count of second-degree murder with intent in connection with the woman’s death. If convicted, Saborit faces up to 40 years in prison, WCCO-CBSN Minnesota reported.
The incident occurred on Wednesday around 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Spencer Street, according to police.
When officers from the Shakopee Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered the body without a head lying on the ground next to a car, according to a search warrant. The victim's head was found next to the body, according to Fox9 News.
The 55-year-old woman was identified as America Mafalda Thayer, the police said.
A sheath of a long knife was found in a nearby yard not far from the crime scene. A “machete-style knife” was later discovered by a dog in a garden near the intersection, WCCO reported.
Additional evidence, including clothing and another knife, was found in a recycling bin near the crime scene, the police said.
Shortly after, officers apprehended Saborit on suspicion of second-degree murder and transported him to the Scott County Jail, Shakopee Police Department said.
In an interview after he had been read his Miranda rights, police said Saborit told them that he and Thayer were on their way to his court appearance together prior to the incident. Police said he told them that he attacked her when she said she wanted to end their relationship, WCCO reported.
Several people witnessed the grisly attack, according to the search warrant.
Thayer, who worked at the Dollar Tree and My Pillow, had been in a long-term relationship with the suspect. a co-worker told Fox 9News.
According to those who knew Thayer, domestic abuse was an ongoing issue in their relationship, according to Fox9 News. A co-worker recalled an incident in June when Thayer arrived at her apartment around 2 a.m. asking if she could stay with her due to an argument, Fox 9News reported.
Police told WCCO they were familiar with Thayer and Saborit.
At the site where her body was found, friends and co-workers put up signs and balloons to pay tribute to Thayer, who was described as a “sweet person who was always “smiling.”
Saborit in 2017 was convicted on domestic assault charges and is currently facing arson charges for allegedly trying to burn his apartment down in 2020, according to court records, Fox 9News reported.
On the most recent charges, he was released on a $50,000 bond this spring, Fox9News reported.
Investigators from the Shakopee Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) are investigating the woman’s death.
“The Shakopee Police Department also wants to express its appreciation to the agencies who responded to assist on the incident,” the police said in a release. “The department would also like to extend its condolences to the family of the victim.”
