Ohio man arrested in connection with Chula Vista double slaying
An Ohio resident has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a man and a woman to death last winter in Chula Vista, authorities reported Thursday.
Steven Cleveland, 43, was already in jail in his home state on unrelated charges when he was re-booked on suspicion of murdering Paz Gojar, 71, and 57-year-old Abdul Hasan, who were found dead on Feb. 21 in the apartment they shared in the 1600 block of Paseo Carina, south of Otay Lakes Road, in the Eastlake area, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.
Shortly after the homicides, investigators say Cleveland fled to Kentucky. He was arrested in Knoxville, Tennessee, on an unrelated warrant in April.
Based on findings from the investigation, detectives believe Cleveland fatally stabbed Hasan and Gojar inside their apartment on Jan. 29 before fleeing, CVPD said.
Cleveland remains in custody at Tri-County Regional Jail in Mechanicsburg, Ohio, pending extradition to the San Diego area to stand trial in the case.
According to records in Ohio, Cleveland was being held on charges of rape and sexual battery, and was being held on $750,000 bail. His criminal record in that state also includes a conviction for felonious assault in 2010 and another, in 2005, for receiving stolen property.
Police have released no suspected motive for the slayings.
