Man Sexually Assaults And Murders Woman, Kills Her Dogs Before Setting Home On Fire

A man has been charged with murdering a 61-year-old woman after breaking into her home, sexually assaulting her, killing her two dogs and setting the house on fire in Northern California, authorities said.

Troy Davis, 51, was Tuesday charged with six felony counts after the murder of Mary Tibbitts on Friday. He faces one count of murder and felony counts of entering the woman’s home for a burglary, assault with intent to commit rape, and two counts for intentionally killing her dogs -- Molly and Jenny, The Sacramento Bee reported.

Davis also faces a special circumstance filing that could lead to a death penalty prosecution, the report said.

On Sept. 3, the Sacramento Fire and police responded to a fire incident at a house along the 2200 block of 11th Ave. in the Land Park neighborhood where they found Tibbitts and her two dogs dead inside.

According to the report, Davis was previously seen in Tibbitts’ neighborhood and was caught by a doorbell camera masturbating on a resident’s porch Friday. The neighbor posted the video to NextDoor but later took it down at the request of police while they were searching for him.

Officers did not catch Davis that night. Later, he returned to the neighborhood and broke into Tibbitts’ house through a window.

Davis briefly appeared at the Sacramento Superior Court at 3 p.m. Tuesday to hear his charges but did not enter into a plea.

He was initially arrested Saturday on a car theft charge filed in June and a parole violation. Police do not believe that Tibbitts and Davis knew each other.

“I am deeply sorry for the senseless murder of a Land Park neighbor and the trauma of this crime for her family & our community. Thank you @sacpolice for making a quick arrest. We will work to get to the bottom of this unspeakable tragedy,” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said in a tweet.

Davis has a lengthy criminal record, dating back to 2013. In the past, he had charges of resisting an officer, battery on an officer, possession of methamphetamine, threatening an officer, misdemeanor sexual battery and assault, vehicle theft and battery among others, Associated Press reported. He is being held without bail.