Murder suspect says victim stabbed herself

LAKELAND, Fla., May 17 (UPI) -- A Florida man was charged with premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, who he told investigators stabbed herself and ran herself over with a car.

The Polk County man -- identified as Jarol Antonio Santiago, though authorities said they don't believe that is his real name -- had originally told investigators Diana Mercado, 33, had gone to work at Dunkin' Donuts about 5:30 a.m. April 28 and never returned, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Mercado never arrived at her job, her boss told deputies, and her body was found April 30 in woods behind her home near Lakeland, Fla., covered with a tarp, a pool cover and wood debris, a sheriff's report said.

Santiago, an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, told detectives Wednesday he and Mercado had argued because she didn't want him to ride to work with her, the report said. He said she had stabbed herself while driving, got out of the car and was run over, the sheriff's report said.

Santiago told detectives he put her in the car, drove home and hid her body in the woods. He said he left her car in a parking lot, threw out the knife and rode home on a bike, the report said.

Mercado died of multiple stab wounds and had several broken ribs, a broken pelvis and a fractured collar bone, a medical examiner determined.