Husband arrested in search for missing Arizona woman

A man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault as part of the ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of his wife, who was reported missing in the Flagstaff, Arizona, area on Sunday, police said.

The search for Kelly Paduchowski, 45, is focused on locating her body because investigators believe she was murdered, Flagstaff Police Sergeant Jerry Rintala said at a news conference Tuesday.

Her husband, Daniel Paduchowski, 58, is suspected of involvement in her death, he said. He was arrested after detectives found unspecified evidence in their Flagstaff-area home, the sergeant said.

The police statement further said that interviews with witnesses and family members served as evidence.

“With further evidence and investigation, further charges may follow,” Rintala said.

It was not clear whether Daniel Paduchowski has legal representation, and the local public defender’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.

Daniel Paduchowski reported his wife missing at 7:39 p.m. Sunday, Flagstaff police said Tuesday. He said she had gone out jogging and swimming in the afternoon, NBC affiliate KPNX in Phoenix reported.

The police statement said investigators traced her phone to Schultz Creek Trail in the Coconino National Forest north of Flagstaff, with a time stamp of 10:20 a.m. Sunday. Daniel was spotted in the area just over an hour later, the police department’s statement said.

While her phone indicated she was at their shared home shortly after noon, her vehicle was at the Campbell Mesa Trailhead, also in the woods north of town, around 1:30 p.m., and Daniel Paduchowski was spotted there at that time, the statement said.

Police distributed pictures of their white 2018 Mazda CX-5 and their silver or gray 2001 Toyota Sequoia SUV and asked anyone who came across either vehicle or person to contact investigators.