WESTLAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A man wanted for murder in Washington state has been arrested after his car was found abandoned in Calabasas on Monday.
Alexander Lee Rogers, 51, was arrested by Los Angeles police in the Westlake District on Tuesday, according to Los Angeles police. Sources initially told ABC7 he was arrested in Woodland Hills.
Chief Jim McDonnell said a security officer called police and reported spotting Rogers in the area of 6th Street and La Fayette Park Place around 12:45 p.m. Officers positively identified him at the scene, and he was taken into custody without incident.
Police say he viciously stabbed 73-year-old Andrew Peters and his sister-in-law, 64-year-old Dawn Peters. Dawn died from her injuries, and Andrew survived. Then, Rogers reportedly fled the state.
"This is, like, unimaginable heartbreak. Every family member is devastated, everyone is grieving in a different way, so please, everybody, just pray for them," said family friend Jill Nunes.
The stabbing happened last Tuesday, just before noon, at the family's home in Longview, Washington. Investigators believe the violence was unprovoked.
"You know, this is a horrific case," said Capt. Brandon McNew with the Longview Police Department. "As far as we can tell, he was acquainted with them through an old family connection and may have been doing some handyman work at the house for them over the last few months."
McNew said that handywork started after Rogers had recently finished a 20-year stint in prison. He says Rogers was convicted of attempted murder in the early 2000s for attacking people with a machete.
Last week, two hours before the stabbing in Longview, police said they encountered Rogers in a parking lot. The interaction was captured on bodycam.
"He had some issues with his vehicle licensing in a parking lot, and so the officer addressed that with him. There was nothing criminal. It was worthy of a verbal warning," McNew said.
Investigators say Rogers fled Washington and drove more than a thousand miles, ditching his car in Southern California.
On Monday, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies found a vehicle matching the suspect's profile parked near a hiking trail in the 23000 block of Calabasas Road.
City News Service contributed to this report.

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