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One of two men suspected in the killing of 64-year-old Steven Dowd in February at a Tempe office building was arrested last week at Sky Harbor International Airport, according to police officials.  

Tempe police identified Steven Lojek, 43, who was taken into custody on Thursday at the airport, and Matthew Anderson, 38, as suspects in Dowd’s death. Anderson has yet to be located.

Information officers collected from witnesses’ cellphone records, driving records and video surveillance footage appear to identify Lojek and Anderson in the Feb. 17 killing, according to police.

Police responded to a welfare check at 4 a.m. on Feb. 17 and found Dowd’s body in a warehouse near Curry Road and McClintock Drive.

The victim was intermittently living in his office space, which he rented from a nearby tenant while his home was being renovated, according to a police report. Officers later found Anderson and Lojek knew the victim, as they had previously worked on his house.

Two witnesses texted the victim they were stopping by the warehouse. When they arrived, they noticed an unfamiliar box truck parked outside, and when they knocked on the door of the warehouse, they saw two men inside moving a blue tarp, the report said. 

The witnesses called more friends, four of which confronted Lojek about what he was doing at the warehouse. But Lojek explained he couldn’t gain entry.

The four witnesses used a hammer to pry the front door open. When inside, a witness noticed the same blue tarp he saw earlier rolled in a large mass with a box leaned over it by the front door.

Lojek and the witnesses went inside the office space, and one witness said the office was rearranged, items were missing and it appeared to be cleaned up. When a witness turned on a flashlight to look for blood, Lojek ran out the door, into the white box truck and took off, the report said.

The witnesses took the victim’s car, attempting to follow the suspects in the box truck. They lost the suspects and later discovered bloody rags and trash bags in the victim’s trunk.

Dowd’s body was found in the blue tarp with red tape wrapped around his head, the report stated.

The medical examiner said in the report the victim died of several injuries as a result of blunt force trauma. Trash bags and red tape were used to tie the victim, who suffered multiple fractures and injuries to the head and body as well as a broken front skull.

Both Lojek and Anderson are accused of kidnapping, assault and first-degree murder, Tempe police said. 

There is also a warrant out for Anderson’s arrest for a previous DUI arrest, and police said they believe he fled the state. 

Reach breaking news reporter Brooke Newman at [email protected] or on Twitter @brookerae17.

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