Police identify woman found dead in trunk of boyfriend’s car at north Wichita apartment

The Wichita woman found dead in the trunk of her boyfriend’s car at his north Wichita apartment Saturday was 19-year-old Zaiylah Bronson, Wichita Police Department spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said.

Alexander Lewis, 22, of Wichita, was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with the domestic violence incident, online jail records show.

Police say Bronson had no obvious signs of trauma, The Eagle previously reported. On Monday, Rebolledo said Bronson was strangled.

Lewis was cooperative with police when they went to his apartment in the 7600 block of East 21st, Rebolledo said, adding that Bronson was found in his car, a black 2009 Kia Rio, in front of his apartment.

Police were dispatched after a 911 operator in North Carolina reported getting a call from a woman who said her son may have harmed his girlfriend, according to Rebolledo.

Wichita police responded at 11:08 a.m. and went to two addresses: the one in the 7600 block of East 21st, where he lives, and in the 3900 block of East 17th, where she lives.

Police arrived by 11:27 a.m. at the Parc at 21st and Rock apartment complex, Rebolledo said, and then found Bronson in the trunk. They did CPR, but she was pronounced dead around noon.

Investigators are working to learn what happened.

This appears to be at least the city’s 30th homicide so far this year, based on a database The Eagle keeps up on homicides reported by police. There were 27 homicides at this time last year.