A North Carolina murder suspect was arrested in Pahrump, Nevada, early Monday morning.
Around 4 a.m., Nye County Sheriff's Office Dispatch was notified of a wanted murder suspect believed to be in the area. 28-year-old Matthew Benner was wanted for the murder of a woman in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Benner is accused of setting a fire at the apartment of 27-year-old Amanda Strous on Saturday, according to the Charlotte Observer. Her body was later pulled out of the apartment and she was pronounced dead shortly after.
Strous' mother told the Observer her daughter and Strous lived in the same apartment complex but didn't know how they knew each other. The Observer reported that Strous was planning to get married to her fiance, Cory Michael, on July 30.
According to the Observer, Benner's brother, Christopher Benner, is an attorney in Las Vegas. He told the Observer he is "addressing legal matters" until Matthew Benner could hire a lawyer.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was actively tracking Matthew Benner and the cell phone GPS signal had come to a stop in Pahrump.
Nye County deputies responded to the area and were able to locate Benner's vehicle parked at the Best Western. During the investigation, it was discovered that at approximately 4 a.m. Benner had gone into the Best Western asking to use the bathroom. Deputies located Benner asleep in his vehicle and he was taken into custody without incident.
An interview was conducted and a confession obtained from Benner. Nye County deputies spoke with the detectives from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and relayed all information obtained from Benner. Benner's vehicle was secured and towed as evidence. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Detectives immediately made arrangements to fly to Nevada.
Nye County detectives will assist Charlotte-Mecklenburg police detectives in the processing of the vehicle and the suspect. Benner was booked into the Nye County Detention Center on a warrant for murder.
