PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Sterling Heights man has been charged after prosecutors say that he stabbed a Milford man to death on New Year's Eve.
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Milford Police Chief Scott Tarasiewicz said last week that the attack was targeted, not random violence that has shaken the typically peaceful neighborhood.
Investigators say that the Milford man's girlfriend called police for a welfare check after she hadn't heard from him in a while. Police arrived to find Peyton Bilbia, 26, had been stabbed multiple times.
Working with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Milford police were able to identify a suspect within hours of finding the victim's body. They apprehended Matthew Molinaro, 29, about 30 miles away in Royal Oak.
The Oakland County Prosecutor tells us that Molinaro was charged with First Degree Murder on Sunday at 51st District Court in Novi. Bond was denied, and the man remains in Oakland County Jail. If convicted, Molinaro faces a life sentence without parole.
“Peyton Bilibia should be with us today,” said Prosecutor Karen McDonald in a press release. “Instead, his life was cut short because of what appears to be a domestic dispute. This case is a tragic reminder that the danger from domestic violence doesn’t end when a relationship ends.”
