Woman Found Dead in Santa Ana Apartment; Man in Custody

UPDATE NO. 2, SEPT. 21, 9:55 A.M.: Carrie Beckett, 58, had a restraining order against her husband at the time 38-year-old Mark Lewis Amacher Jr. allegedly stabbed her in the chest multiple times in the living room of their Santa Ana apartment, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

Amacher was charged Sept. 20 with a felony count of murder, a misdemeanor count of disobeying a court order and sentencing enhancement allegations for personal use of a knife and having a prior felony conviction for vandalism in 2016.

According to prosecutors, Amacher: after the slaying contacted an acquaintance, who called 9-1-1 (That is likely 33-year-old Andrew Buck who lived in the apartment with Amacher and Beckett.); was arrested at the scene after officers saw Beckett on the floor and busted into the apartment; was the subject of a restraining order due to a previous attack on his spouse, now faces 27 years to life in prison if he is convicted.

Amacher pleaded guilty in September 2015 to misdemeanor domestic violence battery and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and ordered to complete a domestic violence batterers’ treatment program.

UPDATE NO. 1, SEPT. 19, 9:36 A.M.: Police have made two arrests connected with the presumed murder of a woman found early Monday in a Santa Ana apartment.

Homicide detectives arrested Mark Lewis Amacher, 39, of Santa Ana, in the Santa Ana Police Department jail on suspicion of murder Monday, according to an advisory from the PD.

Andrew Buck, 33, of Santa Ana, was booked on an unrelated felony warrant for burglary, the department adds. He may be the person who called police early Monday to say a woman was hurt in the apartment.

No further details about the killing were released, including the name of the victim, whose identification “is still pending family notification by the Orange County Coroner’s Office,” according to the release. Cops previously indicated she was in her 50s.

Around 2 p.m. Monday, a hazardous-materials team arrived at the apartment, which police indicated may have contained a drug lab.

ORIGINAL POST, SEPT. 18, 11:51 A.M.: A police call early today about a woman who had been hurt ended with the discovery of a dead adult female in an apartment and a man being taken into custody, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.

Actually, “ended” is the wrong word; this investigation is just beginning as homicide detectives were still obtaining a search warrant for the residence as the SAPD media advisory went out this morning.

Here’s what we know at this hour: The call came in about 2:50 a.m. Officers were sent to 215 South Birch St., Unit A. The county coroner is now confirming the identity of the adult female found deceased inside the apartment.

Anyone with information that can help the investigation is asked to call SAPD homicide detectives at 714.245.8390.

Anonymous tips can be left with Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

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