An Arizona family says they are finally a step closer to justice eight years after the murder of 25-year-old Evin Paulos, whose body was found with more than 30 stab wounds in the desert outside Phoenix.
Paulos was last seen on June 3, 2017, riding in a vehicle with Michael Anthony Arredondo, a former neighbor and friend. Though the two men had recently reconciled after an argument, that same day, Paulos was found dead.
Investigators later discovered Arredondo’s car abandoned in California, with blood and a knife inside, leading to a first-degree murder charge. But Arredondo himself had vanished—until now.
Last month, Paulos’ mother received an unexpected message through a GoFundMe page created after her son’s death. The sender, a Mexican citizen, claimed to know Arredondo’s whereabouts. When Evin’s sister, Eviein, asked for proof, the person sent a photo showing the fugitive living freely in Mexico. “He was just livin’ life for eight years,” she told AZFamily.
Authorities acted quickly. Arredondo, now 34, was arrested in Mexico, extradited to the United States, and taken into custody by Phoenix police last week. According to detectives, he confessed to stabbing Paulos but “wasn’t really able to explain why,” adding that “there had to be some rage involved.”
Arredondo is currently being held on a $750,000 bond as the Paulos family finally begins to see justice for Evin after years of unanswered questions.