Man charged with murder in parking-lot stabbing of woman

A 39-year-old man has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of his girlfriend in a K-Mart parking lot last week.

Eric J. Avila was charged with first-degree premeditated murder in Sedgwick County District Court today. He is accused of killing Alina Burkman, 35, in the parking lot of the K-Mart at Broadway and 47th Street South on the night of March 8.

Burkman was stabbed several times shortly after 10 p.m. and taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police have said. Avila suffered two stab wounds, but police said they found a weapon at the scene and were looking for no other suspects in the case.

The couple had just left a nearby hotel from which they had been evicted when the stabbing occurred, police have said.

Avila’s bond has been set at $500,000 and his preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 27.

Burkman’s death was ruled the city’s fifth homicide of the year.

This story was originally published March 13, 2012 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Man charged with murder in parking-lot stabbing of woman."