Joshua Leyo, 30, is awaiting extradition to Blair County, where he faces charges of murder of the first degree, murder of the third degree, aggravated assault, simple assault, possessing an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person.

Altoona police were dispatched at 1:43 p.m. Wednesday to 205 E. Maple Ave. for a possible death investigation. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, Maureen Mazenko, deceased in the living room with a stab wound to her neck.

During the investigation, police found that Mazenko lived in the home with Leyo, who was not on scene and could not be located.

Detectives learned that Leyo was treated at UPMC Altoona on Tuesday morning for a hand laceration and were able to track him to the area of the Pittsburgh International Airport. Police said he was using Mazenko’s bank account, had taken an Uber from Altoona and made purchases in the Pittsburgh area.

Leyo

Altoona police reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Allegheny County police, who said Leyo had jumped from the second floor of the parking garage at the airport and was being treated for serious injuries at Allegheny General Hospital.

Allegheny County police responded to the hospital to detain Leyo, and Altoona police traveled to Pittsburgh to interview him. During the interview, Leyo allegedly confessed that he stabbed his mother in the neck during an argument. Leyo told police that she was deceased when he left the residence, the report states.

On Thursday, flowers could be seen on the small porch outside Mazenko’s home. Neighbors, who declined to be identified, described Mazenko as a sweet, quiet lady who kept to herself and didn’t bother anyone.

A neighbor, who along with her three children lives a couple doors down from Mazenko, called the loss “heartbreaking.”

The neighbor said Mazenko would sit and watch her kids play in their shared yard in the summertime.

“The last time I saw her was on Monday when she was out sweeping,” the neighbor said. “It’s definitely too close to home.”

As for Leyo, the neighbor didn’t have much to say.

“I couldn’t tell you much about him,” she said. “No one around here has had a conversation with him as far as I know. He just came and went.”

A second neighbor, who lives across the street from the Mazenko, said she didn’t notice a commotion the day of the murder.

“I was here when the police arrived,” that neighbor said, noting that she hadn’t seen or heard anything prior. “When forensics came, I kind of figured it was something bad.”

Mazenko hadn’t mentioned any tension in her home in the occasional conversations that they shared, the woman said, adding “she was a very sweet lady.”

While bouncing a baby on her hip, another neighbor said that the killing worried her.

“I hope they catch him and that he burns in hell,” she said.

Leyo is currently on probation for a 2021 incident in which he threatened a juvenile with a knife after becoming angry over loud music.