Pregnant Lyft Driver Stabbed to Death By Passenger, Police Say

Police in Arizona say a 39-year-old woman in her third trimester was stabbed to death by a man who had requested her Lyft services early Sunday morning.

Kristina Howato was found by police early Sunday around 1:30 a.m. after reports came in of a woman screaming in a parking lot near 8th Street and McClintock. Police say Howato had apparently suffered several stab wounds.

Sgt. Ron Elcock of the Tempe Police Department said that Howato was working early Sunday when she received a pickup request from a man identified as Fabian Durazo, 20. Durazo allegedly attacked the pregnant woman shortly after they arrived at an apartment complex located about a half-mile away from the pickup point Duranzo then fled the scene in Howato's SUV.

The stolen vehicle was tracked down by the Arizona Department of Public Safety who used the SUV's GPS tracking to locate it on Interstate 10 near Quartzsite, about 25 miles away from the Arizona-California state line.

"Throughout our careers as officers, we have incidents that really, really touch our hearts and stay with you throughout your careers," said Elcock. "This is definitely one of those incidents that really is going to affect the police department for a long time."

Police do not believe the victim or Durazo were acquainted with each other.

One witness, who did not want to be identified said Howato vaguely described her attacker before she fell unconscious.

"Myself and my roommate's friend tried to do what we could do, as much first aid as we could, stop bleeding," he said.

Durazo has been booked on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed robbery, vehicle theft and kidnapping, Tempe police say.

Ridesharing services Lyft and Uber both prohibit their drivers from carrying guns while they're working for the service. However, other drivers say they carry other types of defenses like pepper spray or a knife in case a rider becomes unruly.

Lyft released a statement on Monday about the incident:

"We were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of this tragedy, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims. The safety of the Lyft community is our top priority. The passenger's account has been permanently deactivated and we are actively assisting law enforcement with their investigation."

Photo: La Paz County Sheriff's Department