Fugitive arrested in KC allegedly killed woman, good Samaritan in Arizona

A fugitive arrested in Kansas City on Tuesday night was wanted in connection with the Arizona slayings of a woman and a good Samaritan who came to her aid on New Year’s Day.

Michael D. Leday, 28, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder after he allegedly attacked Cindy Burnett, 46, then stole the car of Patrick Balbastro, 32, who had pulled over to help Burnett in Tucson. Leday allegedly used Balbastro’s car to run over Burnett, Balbastro and Balbastro’s girlfriend, who suffered critical injuries.

The day after the assault, Leday boarded a bus bound for Kansas City. On Monday, Leday’s girlfriend boarded a bus to Kansas City.

The Kansas City Fugitive Task Force tracked the couple to the Crown Lodge motel near Missouri 350 and Blue Ridge Cutoff and set up a surveillance team about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Officers spotted the pair walking to the motel and moved in, but Leday fled into a heavily wooded area.

About 40 law enforcement officers, including canine and tactical officers, swarmed the area and arrested Leday after an “intense 30-minute foot pursuit” through the woods and creek beds, according to a news release distributed Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Service.

This story was originally published January 15, 2014 at 1:27 PM with the headline "Fugitive arrested in KC allegedly killed woman, good Samaritan in Arizona."