GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Kentwood man accused in two deadly stabbings admitted to police he would kill again, if given the chance, court records show.
George Edward Yzaguirre, 36, was charged Thursday with two murders that occurred five days apart. He knew both of his victims.
The first attack happened last week. Yzaguirre “brutally killed his roommate, stabbing him 70 times and dumping the body,’’ court records show.
Five days later, police say he went to the Byron Township home of a friend and stabbed him numerous times before leaving with the victim’s credit cards.
Yzaguirre “admitted to police he would kill again if he got the chance,’’ Kentwood detective Tim Nelson wrote in court documents.
When Yzaguirre was arrested, he admitted to both killings, court records show.
Tuesday’s arrest came after he walked into a Home Depot store in Wyoming and asked workers to call 911 so he could surrender to police.
Although Yzaguirre has been in and out of trouble since his late teens, nothing in his past comes close to the violent outbursts police say took place in Kentwood and Byron Township.
He had his first court appearance Thursday morning before 63rd District Court Judge Sara Smolenski. Yzaguirre fidgeted and looked down at times during the video arraignment.
He is charged with felony murder and armed robbery for the Dec. 3 death of Edward James Fuller, 63. It happened Tuesday at the victim’s home on Monticello Street SW at Pinegate Mobile Village in Byron Township.
Yzaguirre told police he killed Fuller, court records show. Police went to the home and found Fuller dead from multiple stab wounds. “He confessed to stabbing [Fuller] multiple times which resulted in his death,’’ Kent County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Hinds wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
Yzaguirre said he intended to rob Fuller and subsequently admitted to killing him following the robbery, in which credit cards were taken, court records show.
Yzaguirre “was observed on video surveillance at numerous businesses in Kent County following the murder using/attempting to the Edward Fuller’s credit cards,’’ Hinds wrote.
If convicted of felony murder, Yzaguirre faces mandatory life in prison. Armed robbery is punishable by a term of years up to life.
On Thursday afternoon, Yzaguirre was arraigned in Kentwood District Court on one count of first-degree murder for the stabbing death of his roommate and longtime friend, 34-year-old David Isner, Jr. First-degree murder is punishable by mandatory life in prison.
The stabbing happened Nov. 28 at their home on Kimball Avenue SE, just north of 52nd Street. Yzaguirre had been living at the duplex about 2½ years.
“Yzaguirre was offended by something Isner said to him,’’ police wrote in a probable cause affidavit. “Yzaguirre waited for Isner to lay down in bed and went into the bedroom with a knife. Yzaguirre then stabbed Isner to death.’’
Isner’s family filed a missing-person report on Monday, Dec. 2. His body was found the following day in an open area near Lake Michigan Drive and Wilson Avenue NW in Walker. Members of the victim’s family attended Thursday’s video arraignment in Kentwood.
ACCUSED KILLER CALLED A FLIGHT RISK:
In a bond recommendation form, police described Yzaguirre as a flight risk, noting that his wife recently left him and he's unemployed. He also has family in Texas, a detective wrote.
Although court records list him as unemployed, Yzaguirre said during his morning arraignment that he “repurposes hardwood floors.’’ He also said his wife left him about four weeks ago.
Yzaguirre is a lifelong resident of Kent County who did not complete high school. His background shows troubles with drugs and alcohol. He’s had several stays in the Kent County Jail for offenses ranging from resisting police to drunk driving.
Yzaguirre spent five days in jail two years ago for a drunk driving conviction tied to an accident involving a Hope Network bus.
It happened in February of 2017 on 52nd Street and Christie Avenue SE in Kentwood. Yzaguirre was driving a pickup truck when he ran a red light and struck the Hope Network bus, court records show.
He had a blood alcohol level of .32 percent, which is four times above the legal limit for driving.
In addition to jail, Yzaguirre was placed on probation for 18 months. He was discharged from probation last year.
He will be back in court later this month for probable cause conferences in the two murder cases. Yzaguirre is being held on a $2 million bond.
RELATED VIDEO:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.