Pregnant Woman Dead After Being Stabbed and Set on Fire Days After Baby Shower, Brother in Custody

N-Kya Rebecca Logan had just celebrated her baby shower two days before her brother allegedly stabbed her and her unborn child to death before setting her fire and dumping her in an alley

A Fresno, Calif. woman who was 36 weeks pregnant is dead after she was fatally stabbed and set on fire in an alley; her brother is now in custody.

The Fresno Police Department Chief of Police Paco Balderrama identified the woman as N-Kya Rebecca Logan, 26, revealing that she had "been stabbed to death and then set on fire," said in a news briefing on Wednesday.

Logan was 36 weeks pregnant and celebrated her baby shower this past Sunday, Dec. 11. She planned to name her baby son Noah, Balderrama shared.

Balderrama said the deaths, Logan and her unborn child, marked the 57th and 58th murders in the city.

Balderrama said around 12:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, the Fresno Fire Department and FPD were alerted to a fire on an unpaved alley on the 4400 block of N. Cornelia Street.

"When they arrived they saw a victim who had been set on fire, completely engulfed in fire," said the police chief.

Fresno Police Department
Fresno Police Department

After authorities managed to gather "several pieces of evidence," they arrested her brother, Aaron Jamal Dudley, 41. He and Logan lived in the same home, said Balderrama, adding that the alleged suspect is connected to the physical evidence found at the crime scene.

"We have several witnesses who saw the fire, but one witness who actually took a picture of a person who we believe is the suspect standing over the body. Several surveillance videos which show the suspect pushing a trash bin. We believe the victim was inside the trash bin. She was taken to the alley before she was set on fire."

Fresno County's District Attorney Lisa A. Smittcamp took the podium and sent condolences to Logan's family. She said that her office has not officially been given the case, however, it plans to charge the suspect with two counts of murder as "the killing of a fetus is murder" when it's past the stage of an embryo. The D.A.'s office also plans to push for the death penalty.

Balderrama returned and took questions from reporters, stating that Dudley was arrested as he tried to "run away from the home."

Officers were executing a search warrant after having "suspicions that the brother may be involved." Once inside the house, authorities found evidence that linked Dudley to the crimes.

Balderrama noted that authorities had been to the home before, and Dudley was allegedly declared unsafe around family members. He made it clear that Dudley's alleged actions after the murder, from trying to dispose of the body to attempting to avoid police, indicates that he's mentally fit to withstand trial.

Asked about the relationship between Logan and Dudley, Balderrama said police were previously called to the home on July 28, when Balderrama said "the victim did fear for her safety." It's not clear what the motive was.

Balderrama said Logan was "stabbed multiple times."

Police believe Logan was killed inside of her home before she was taken to the alley four blocks away and set on fire, he said, adding that the incident called for much planning beforehand.

Fresno Police Department
Fresno Police Department

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A bail amount for Dudley has not been set, according to his booking record.

It was not clear if Dudley has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.

The Fresno Police Department and Fresno Fire Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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