AMES, IA — A man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a talented Spanish golfer who was on the woman’s team at Iowa State University allegedly made statements about “having an urge to rape and kill women,” Ames police commander Geoff Huff said at a press conference Tuesday.
According to police, officers responded to the Coldwater Golf Course Monday around 10:25 a.m. after golfers on the course found a golf bag with no one near it on the course. Police say around 11:03 a.m., staff at the course alerted them to a body found in the water. The victim was identified as Celia Barquin Arozamena, 22.
Huff said Barquin, who was golfing alone at the time, had been stabbed in the upper torso, neck and head.
Police say after a search of a wooded area next to the golf course, officers spoke to a person who told them of another individual living in the wooded area. Police say the person told them the individual had made statements about “having an urge to rape and kill women.”
Huff said police got a dog from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office who tracked the scent from the victim to a location in the wooded area. Around 2 p.m., Huff said officers encountered Collin Daniel Richards, 22.
Richards had fresh scratches on his face consistent with a fight and he was attempting to conceal a laceration on his hand, according to Huff. At some point, Richards went to another address and bathed. Huff said people at that address described him as “disheveled” and covered in “blood, sand and water.” He left the residence with clothes and a black backpack, Huff said. Police say they recovered the backpack, which had two pairs of shorts in it that tested positive for human blood. Police also recovered a knife, according to Huff.
Richards is charged with first-degree murder. A preliminary hearing has been set for Sept. 28 at 1 p.m.
Huff said police will continue to follow up on whether there is any evidence of sexual assault. He said there was no relationship between the two that authorities have found.
“It’s rare obviously, still very troubling that something like this could happen in broad daylight in a community as safe as Ames,” Huff said. He added that he could not comment yet on a motive.
A native of Spain, Barquin was the 2018 Big 12 Champion and the Iowa State female athlete of the year. She was completing her civil engineering degree at Iowa State.
“Celia had an infectious smile, a bubbly personality and anyone fortunate enough to know her was blessed,” Jamie Pollard, Iowa State Director of Athletics, said in a statement. “Our Cyclone family mourns the tragic loss of Celia, a spectacular student-athlete and ISU ambassador.”
Click Here: Cardiff Blues Store
In a statement, the school called her “one of the most accomplished players in Cyclone golf history.” She won the European Ladies Amateur at the Penati Golf Resort in Slovakia in July and was ranked no. 69 nationally by Golfweek.
“We are all devastated,” Christie Martens, Iowa State head women’s golf coach, said in the statement. “Celia was a beautiful person who was loved by all her teammates and friends. She loved Iowa State and was an outstanding representative for our school. We will never forget her competitive drive to be the best and her passion for life.”
According to information from the Iowa State roster, Barquin said she chose Iowa State because of the “facilities, coaches, and teammates, as well as the beautiful campus.” She listed her favorite golf course as Chiberta in France, where she was the three-time winner of the Gran Prix of Chiberta tournament.
Anyone with information can contact the Ames Police Department at 515-239-5133 or the anonymous tip line, 515-239-5533. Tipsters can also contact Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400. Tips can also be submitted anonymously online or via text by texting “PCCS” and the tip to 274637 (CRIMES).
Lead Photo: Ames Police Commander Geoff Huff speaks about the death of Iowa State University student Celia Barquin Arozamena during a news conference, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, in Ames, Iowa. Barquin, who was the 2018 Big 12 female golf champion and Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year, was found Monday morning in a pond at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames. Photo by Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press