Marine arrested in shooting death of Texas student

YUMA, Ariz., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Marshals have arrested a U.S. Marine in the apparent road rage shooting death of a college student, police said.

Cpl. Eric Jamal Johnson, 25, was arrested in his car Tuesday just outside the gates of the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz., where he is stationed. Johnson is expected to be extradited to Texas to face charges for killing 20-year-old University of North Texas student Sara Mutschlechner, Deputy Marshal Matthew Goodwin said.

The alleged shooting took place on New Year's Eve in Denton, Texas. Witnesses told police Mutschlechner was driving in her car about 2 a.m. after leaving a sorority party when a black Honda Pilot SUV pulled along side her with five or six men inside.

A conversation between the men, and Mutschlechner and her passengers quickly turned from friendly to sexual and "very derogatory ... in a sexual nature" to women, police spokesman Daniel Kizer said.

The streetlight changed and as Mutschlechner pulled away, two shots were fired into her car. Mutschlechner was shot in the head. Her car then hit another vehicle and smashed into a utility pole.

Mutschlechner died at the hospital. One of her passengers sustained a broken clavicle.

Witnesses from Mutschlechner's car said they saw Johnson inside the SUV with a handgun.

Johnson joined the Marines in 2013 and is an administrative specialist. He goes by the street name "Santana Sage," Kizer said.

Mutschlechner was a radio, television and film major.