A 37-year-old Mesa man was taken into custody and charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder after officers responding to a 911 call found his girlfriend dead at the couple’s residence. The man told dispatchers he had discovered 36-year-old Cierra Tellez unresponsive upon returning from work. When officers arrived at the home around 11 a.m. on July 21 they located Tellez deceased; investigators later reported visible bruising on her body that prompted a homicide investigation.
Following an examination of the scene and a review of evidence gathered at the location, authorities say they developed probable cause and arrested the suspect later in the week. Courtroom audio captured a prosecutor characterizing the death as "a very brutal and horrific murder" and adding, "We believe that Mr. Collins is a very dangerous individual." The accused remains in custody on a bond set at $1,250,500 while the case moves through the criminal process.
During a subsequent search of the home investigators reported finding clothing stained with blood and a metal object described as a bronze rod. Items recovered during that search, along with the visible injuries observed on Tellez’s body, formed part of the evidence law enforcement officials say supported charging the man with kidnapping and first-degree murder. The victim is survived by two children, a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old.
Neighbors and people who knew the couple spoke with investigators about events in the days immediately surrounding the discovery. One neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous and said he was close to the accused, described the pair as appearing normal the night before the body was found, saying they had been outside playing a board game. "Everything was fine, nothing was off," the neighbor told investigators. According to that same neighbor, the accused was clearly distraught the following morning: "He came and knocked on my door and was telling me about it, and then went and called his mom and was on the phone with his mom for an hour."
The neighbor also recounted that the man told him he was heading to work that morning, though investigators later determined he did not report to his job that day. Law enforcement officials have not released additional details about the timeline of the suspect’s movements between the time he said he found the victim and the arrival of officers, beyond the fact that a 911 call reporting an unresponsive woman led police to the scene.
Tellez’s family issued a statement after the arrest describing the personal impact of her death and urging awareness of abusive relationships. In that statement the parents said they "will never again experience the moments of love and joy of being with Cierra, all due to the tragic events caused by someone who supposedly ‘loved’ her." The family also reminded others to recognize signs of abuse and to offer help to those who may be in dangerous situations.
Representative image of a woman shielding her face, illustrating domestic violence in coverage of an Arizona man charged in his girlfriend’s death after he called 911.
Authorities say bruising observed on Tellez’s body and physical evidence collected from the residence were central to the decision to treat the death as a homicide and to pursue charges. Law enforcement officials arrested the suspect after establishing probable cause; he now faces formal charges of kidnapping and first-degree murder. The criminal complaint and further filings are expected to set out the specific allegations and the evidence the state intends to use in pursuing the case.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Prosecutors have described the killing in court as brutal, and the accused is being held on the bond amount set by the court. No trial date has been announced publicly yet, and authorities have not released additional forensic findings or other investigative details beyond what has been disclosed about the initial 911 call, the discovery of Tellez’s injuries, the items recovered during a search of the home, and the statements from neighbors and family members.
New court records reviewed by AZ Family and FOX10 Phoenix reveal surveillance video caused Kyle Collins' alibi about returning from work to fall apart "frame by frame," with detectives finding blood in three rooms and a broken metallic cane containing the victim's hair. Collins is scheduled to appear in Maricopa County court on July 29 as the investigation continues.
Surveillance footage from a neighboring apartment shows Collins leaving and re-entering the unit at about 8:15 a.m., wearing only camouflage shorts and no shirt and wiping his chest and arms with a towel.
Court records show Collins told investigators he was headed to work that morning, but his employer, Reset (a culinary facility in Phoenix), confirmed he never reported in and Collins’ mother had called the employer to report he needed time after allegedly learning his girlfriend had cheated.
Booking and probable-cause records include statements by Collins during intake in which he said he believed he had “f***** up” and, when asked by jail staff whether he planned to hurt himself or others, was overheard saying “yeah, both.”
Prosecutors have said Collins has a prior criminal history that includes domestic violence and kidnapping, and investigators noted Collins appeared to “shift” when paramedics pronounced the victim dead.