Man arrested in slaying of pregnant woman found in Concord pond, police say
CONCORD (KTVU) -- A man wanted in the death of a pregnant woman whose body was found in a popular Concord park last week surrendered Tuesday to police in Reno, Nevada, authorities said.
Police said Erick Lamar Nelson, 26, was being held in Washoe County, where he is awaiting extradition back to California. He is wanted in the May 16 slaying of Poinsettia Parks, whose body was found floating in a duck pond at Newhall Park, police said.
Authorities were called to the park around 2:30 a.m. after someone reported seeing her body. Investigators issued an arrest warrant for Nelson after she was identified as the victim. A motive for the slaying has not been publicly revealed.
Family members have said the suspect had a history of violence with Parks, who is survived by a 7-year-old daughter and was pregnant with her second child.
“She always brought light to everyone,” her sister, Nicolia Stephens said. “She was illuminating. You could meet her for five minutes, you might not remember her name, but you would remember her smile.”
Relatives said Parks worked as a security guard for a Safeway and had planned to move to Las Vegas.
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