Fllagstaff, AZ: Cameron woman slain in motel

LARRY HENDRICKS Assistant City Editor | Posted: Friday, September 24, 2010 5:05 am
A Cameron woman found dead in an eastside Flagstaff motel room Saturday was the victim of a homicide, according to the Coconino County Medical Examiner.
Her boyfriend has been arrested on a domestic violence second-degree murder charge, marking the city's third domestic violence-related murder in 2010.
Laurice V. Villavicencio (also Blackhair), 40, was found dead in a room at the Route 66 Motel, 2100 E. Route 66, at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, said Sgt. James Jackson of the Flagstaff Police Department.
Villavicencio's boyfriend phoned a member of his church and reported that she was unresponsive, Jackson said.
"A member of the church eventually gets in contact with us," Jackson said, adding that the officer who responded confirmed that Villavicencio was dead and requested detectives.
Her death was initially listed as "undetermined," Jackson said. But evidence at the scene made the death appear suspicious, he added. She had injuries on her body.
On Wednesday, the medical examiner ruled that the death was the result of "blunt-force trauma," Jackson said. He also said that investigators went back out and reinterviewed leads in the case.
Villavicencio's boyfriend, Charles E. Brown, 46, 2100 E. Route 66, was booked into the county jail on three domestic violence charges: second-degree murder, aggravated assault and assault.
Brown is being held in jail in lieu of $1 million bond.
Villavicencio is well-known to police. According to information from the Arizona Supreme Court website, Villavicencio has numerous arrests in Flagstaff. Among them are consuming liquor in public, disorderly conduct, assault and criminal trespassing.
And according to the Florida Department of Corrections, Brown was released from prison in July after serving seven months for a cocaine possession conviction.
Villavicencio's death marks the third domestic violence-related death in Flagstaff in 2010. A man also was shot and killed by a Flagstaff police officer last month during a domestic violence call.
The deaths have come as the city experienced a marked increase in reports of domestic violence. Police officials cite a number of reasons for the increase -- including elevated community awareness, a broader classification standard for the crime, and the financial pressures on families from the recession.
After a reduction in DV incidents reported citywide in 2008, DV incidents in 2009 exceeded 2007 levels, according to police department statistics.
So far in 2010, four murders have been reported in Flagstaff, the most in more than 15 years.
Larry Hendricks can be reached at 556-2262 or lhendricks@azdailysun.com
Domestic violence
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
Total incidents 1,716 1,536 1,672 1,625 1,467
Misdemeanors 1,475 1,265 1,388 1,388 1,328
Felonies 241 271 284 237 139
Arrests 768 806 695 675 546
-- Sourceand-courts on Friday, September 24, 2010 5:05 am Updated: 10:23 pm.