Florida woman driving through Pa. killed a stranger, police say. She was arrested in Centre County
A Florida woman accused of killing a man in Montour County was arrested Tuesday in Boggs Township by state police at Rockview, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Kathleen Reed, 36, was found by officers about 11:35 p.m. Tuesday at 820 S. Eagle Valley Road. She was reported for erratic driving and was found unresponsive in the Sheetz parking lot, officers wrote.
Officers traced the vehicle’s registration and found the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic was owned by Walter Ditzler Jr. State police at Milton visited Ditzler’s home and found he had been fatally stabbed, police wrote.
Reed, who was interviewed about 6:20 a.m. Wednesday at the state police at Rockview barracks, told officers she left her parent’s Pembroke Pines, Florida, residence about 2:30 a.m. Sunday and was planning to go to Canada.
After stopping at hotels in Georgia and Virginia, Reed was “running out of money” and began stopping at gas stations to ask people for money, police wrote.
She continued “following the mountains” until she stopped at Ditzler’s Cooper Township residence to ask if he would give her a gas can, police wrote. Ditzler refused, but allowed Reed inside to use the restroom.
Ditzler, 83, then asked Reed to leave, but she is accused of instead grabbing a knife and stabbing him several times. When asked about the extent of Ditzler’s injuries, Reed said, “I killed him,” police wrote.
She fled in Ditzler’s vehicle, but left her 2002 Mazda Protege outside his residence. Officers also found a knife and towel used during the killing in the spot where Reed said they would be, police wrote.
A defense lawyer for Reed was not listed on a court document.
Reed was charged with one felony count each of homicide and theft by unlawful taking, and two misdemeanor counts of possession of an instrument of crime with intent.
She is detained at the Columbia County Prison. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 31.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 11:13 PM.