Man in custody after woman's mysterious death in Santa Ana

Tuesday, January 2, 2018
SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Investigators are trying to unravel a mystery surrounding the murder of a 76-year-old woman in Santa Ana.

At approximately 4:14 a.m. Monday, a citizen called the Santa Ana Police Department after hearing someone yelling for help from a parking lot in the 1600 block of W. First Street. When officers arrived, they found Betty Jane Willis unresponsive and lying on the ground.
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Orange County Fire Authority personnel tried to render aid to the woman, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

At the scene, Santa Ana police took 22-year-old Rosendo Xo Pec into custody after he attempted to flee, police said. He was booked at the Santa Ana Detention Center on homicide charges.
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It remained unclear how the woman died or whether the two knew each other.

Anyone with information was urged to call Santa Ana homicide detectives.
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