Man accused of fatally stabbing Kentucky woman in neck during store robbery
A man has been charged with murder after he told police he stabbed a woman in her Rockcastle County business, according to an arrest citation.
Arturo Perez, 26, is also facing charges of robbery and evidence tampering, according to court records. He is accused of killing 54-year-old Famey Hellard on Sept. 29 as she was working in The Glitter Box, her store in Mount Vernon.
Perez turned himself in to Lexington police on Tuesday, Kentucky State Police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington said. State police, who have worked on the case with Mt. Vernon police, went to Lexington to interview Perez.
Perez told police that he was going to rob The Glitter Box with a fake gun, but during the robbery he stabbed Hellard in the neck and head area, according to his arrest citation. He told investigators that he stabbed her jugular vein to “make it quicker,” according to the citation.
There was no warrant out for Perez’s arrest, and while Pennington said the case would’ve likely been solved anyway, it would have taken a while.
“Maybe it was his guilty conscious, or maybe a higher power helped solve this investigation,” Pennington said.
Perez is known to live in the areas of Tennessee and Texas, but is considered a “drifter,” Pennington said.
While Mount Vernon might have some issues with “drifters” who move through the area, it’s no worse than any other small town, Pennington said. He also said that not all “drifters” are dangerous.
Investigators do not believe anyone else was involved in Hellard’s death, Pennington said.
Perez was set to be in court for arraignment on Wednesday. He’s being held in the Rockcastle County jail.
This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 10:58 AM.
