Man Suspected Of Killing Woman Found In Pasadena Park Arrested In New Mexico

PASADENA (CBSLA) — A 26-year-old parolee from Pasadena has been arrested in connection with the killing of a woman whose body was found in Pasadena's Hahamongna Watershed Park last month, police said Thursday.

Adrian Robert Casey was taken into custody Nov. 26 in New Mexico on suspicion of stabbing 49-year-old Elena Ledford in the parking lot of a La Canada High School and leaving her body in the park across the street.

According to investigators with the Pasadena Police Department, Casey had a "familiar relationship" with the victim and left California "shortly after the murder."

Ledford worked at Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena. Her coworkers have left flowers and a poster filled with condolences in the same spot where her body was found.

Casey is being held in New Mexico on a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parole violation hold pending extradition. Details about his criminal record were not immediately released by police.

Ledford's coworkers have started a GoFundMe page to remember someone who is remembered as a beloved coworker and community member. The money will go to Ledford's 14-year-old daughter.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)