Investigators say surveillance video and purchase records led them to the suspect.
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A woman accused of stealing a man’s SUV after a dating-app meeting is facing murder charges after Phoenix police said the man was run over and killed while trying to stop her.
The victim, 52-year-old Norris L. Taft, died after being struck Sunday afternoon in a parking lot near 16th Street and Maryland Avenue. Police arrested 30-year-old Mikela Antresa Bahe days later in Flagstaff after tracking her movements following the crash.
The investigation began just after 4 p.m. May 3, when police and fire crews responded to an apartment complex and found Taft with severe injuries. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Police said the vehicle that hit him was gone when crews arrived.
Surveillance video became a key piece of the case. Detectives said it showed a woman entering a dark-colored SUV as Taft moved in front of it. Police said he appeared to be trying to stop the vehicle from leaving. The SUV then accelerated, struck Taft and dragged him for a short distance before leaving the parking lot.
Police traced the SUV’s plate to Taft. The vehicle’s owner told investigators Taft lived alone and was the only person who drove it. Family members later told police Taft had said he was meeting a woman he connected with on MocoSpace.
According to court records, Taft sent a message to a relative after picking up the woman and said she did not match the person shown on the app. Police said he was trying to end the meeting before he was killed.
Detectives followed Taft and the woman’s movements before the crash and found they had gone to three businesses, including a dispensary and a gas station. Investigators said video from those locations and purchase history helped them identify Bahe.
After the crash, police said Bahe traveled through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and boarded a shuttle bus to Flagstaff the next day. She was arrested Wednesday with help from Flagstaff police and brought back to Phoenix.
Bahe told detectives she was with Taft for part of the weekend but said she could not remember what happened after leaving the dispensary, according to court documents. Police said she stopped answering questions after calling a family member and saying she had “messed up.”
Bahe was booked on charges of second-degree murder, leaving the scene of an accident and theft of means of transportation. Police said the black 2010 Cadillac Escalade with Arizona plate FBA 4SY had not been found.
Investigators continued searching Friday for the SUV and reviewing records tied to the final hours before Taft was struck.
Author note: Last updated May 8, 2026.