The husband of a 34-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Irwin National Training Center is behind bars on suspicion of murder after the woman was found dead at their home earlier this month.
Authorities arrested Ervin Padgett, 37, in Las Vegas on Dec. 2 after he was discharged from a hospital, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement released Monday.
Sheriff’s spokesperson Jodi Miller said Padgett is expected to be extradited to San Bernardino County this week.
On Dec. 8, local prosecutors charged him with the murder of his wife, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Rebecca Padgett, court records show.
Miller said the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, prevented the department from disclosing why Ervin Padgett was hospitalized.
Ervin Padgett is accused of shooting Rebecca Padgett, who was found dead at their home in the 5200 block of Chuckawalla Court at Fort Irwin on Dec. 1.
Ervin Padgett was hospitalized Nov. 30. Medical personnel contacted the Fort Irwin Military Police Department the following day to conduct a welfare check at their home.
Rebecca Padgett was found by military police with an “apparent gunshot wound,” Sheriff’s officials said.
“Detectives determined Ervin was responsible for Rebecca’s death,” Sheriff’s officials said in a statement. “An arrest warrant was issued for Ervin, for the murder of Rebecca. Sheriff’s homicide, with the assistance of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, contacted Ervin in Las Vegas and arrested him for his warrant.”
Ervin Padgett was booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.
Rebecca Padgett was a human resources specialist and observer coach and trainer on the Panther Team, Operations Group. Originally from Alamogordo, New Mexico, she was assigned to Fort Irwin in May 2018, Fort Irwin officials said in a Facebook post Monday afternoon.
“She was highly respected among her teammates and will be sorely missed in our community,” the post read. “Please keep her family, friends and fellow Soldiers in your thoughts and prayers as we mourn this tragic loss.”
Col. Michael Simmering, commander of the Operations Group, said Rebecca Padgett was loved by many and highly respected by members of the team.
“The loss of our Soldier has deeply affected us all,” Simmering said. “As we mourn the loss of our teammate, our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and fellow Soldiers.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. David Carpenter at 909-387-3589.
Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip hotline at 800-782-7436 or visit www.wetip.com.
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