OKC Police Investigate 20 Homicides In Month Of August

Homicide detectives in Oklahoma City had a busy August. Police investigated almost two dozen homicides, and some of those are still open cases. 

Thursday, September 2nd 2021, 5:38 pm



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Homicide detectives in Oklahoma City had a busy August. Police investigated almost two dozen homicides, and some of those are still open cases. 

Oklahoma City saw 20 homicide victims in a 26-day span. The total number of homicides this year is 10 less than 2020's total.

So far, this has been the deadliest year to date going back to 2018. 

Between January 1 and August 31, 2021, Oklahoma City has seen 68 homicides. That's more than 25 more lives lost than in the same time frame in 2020. The first eight months of 2020 saw 41 homicides. Fifty-two homicides happened through August in 2019, and 2018 saw 44.

The total amount of homicides last year came out to 76, and 2021 is on track to surpass that number. 

Homicides spiked in 2019 and 2017, with 88 in 2019 and 93 in 2017.

Twenty of the 2021 homicide victims died between August 3 and 28. Oklahoma City didn't go more than three days without a homicide.

For each of the victim's loved ones, each life lost is more than an open case. 

"Going to the scene and hearing he's not-it was him that got shot. It hurt me bad," said Jennifer Sarabia, the sister of Javier Sarabia. 

He was killed on August 10. 

It's a future lost.

"It's just crazy because how we were just talking about what did we want to do with our lives, but now that's all just gone," said Myesha Alexander, Phillip Gates' girlfriend. 

Gates was gunned down August 15. 

Oklahoma City police said while August saw 20 homicide victims, 19 of them died from incidents that happened in August. One person who died last month and is counted as a 2021 homicide suffered the deadly injuries in a 2015 incident.

The first two weeks of the month, the department saw eight homicides. Two of those days had two victims each, one of those scenes was a double homicide. A number of those homicides appear to be centered around city's southwest side.

OCPD saw six homicides in just seven days between the 13 and 21. Alexander fought off the attacker who killed her boyfriend.

"I saw Phil take his last breath in front of me," she said.

At the end of the month, Oklahoma City police got called to six more homicides in five days. 

Police think four of the August deaths are domestic-related and at least one is a drug-related homicide.

Arrests have been made in six of the 20 cases and police said several other suspects will not face charges.

Anyone with information on any Oklahoma City homicide, call the homicide tip line at 405-297-1200.

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