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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A tip from the community led to the arrest of a man accused of murdering his roommate in Scottsdale.
What we know:
Police say 35-year-old Matthew Dieringer was living with Frank Quaranta, 67, after they met at a church homeless outreach event.
The case began as a welfare check at Quaranta's home, where police found him dead from apparent blunt force trauma. Evidence at the scene pointed to Dieringer as the suspect.
Police received a tip that Dieringer was seen near 13th Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix. He was then arrested for a probation violation from a 2024 theft case.
"That was what the initial arrest was for," said Scottsdale Police Sgt. Allison Sempsis. "He was taken to our jail, and we served a search warrant for forensic evidence, and so once we had that forensic evidence, it was able to tidy up any loose ends for the homicide."
Dieringer was previously sentenced in Colorado in 2020 for torturing and dismembering his roommate's two dogs.
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Suspect appears in court
He appeared in court on Sunday, Sept. 7, and is being held on a $3 million bond.
"I believe that you are being given wrong information entirely about me and my name," Dieringer said during his court appearance.
However, prosecutors said there is strong evidence against him, including a presumptive DNA match to blood found at the crime scene.
"The subject allegedly beat the victim to death. This was a very violent and horrific murder," said Brooke Gaunt of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
Gaunt argued for a high cash-only bond, citing Dieringer's criminal history and the fact that he fled the crime scene and evaded law enforcement for several days. Gaunt added that if convicted of murder, Dieringer faces a life sentence or the death penalty.
When the judge set the high bond, Dieringer vocalized his disagreement, claiming the proceeding was "illegal." The judge replied, saying he was appointed an attorney who could to file any necessary motions.
Dieringer ended the exchange by saying, "Thank you, sir. Actually, I don't know if I should thank you, but God bless you and have God in your soul."
What they're saying:
"Not his first rodeo, so he's been around," retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Lance Leising said.
Leising, a former FBI agent who spent his career around violent criminals, said he isn't surprised Scottsdale Police called Dieringer "charismatic."
"It almost was an ego thing, like they felt like they were smarter and better than the individual either they committed the crime against or the law enforcement officers investigating that crime," Leising said.