Man Arrested in Slaying of Woman, Kidnaping of Daughter : Crime: Body is discovered by her 7-year-old son. The missing 6-year-old girl is found hours later in Fresno with the suspect, the victim’s boyfriend.

A Los Angeles man suspected of stabbing his girlfriend to death and kidnaping her 6-year-old daughter was arrested Thursday night in Fresno with the girl, who was unharmed, police said.

Juan Batista, 29, was being held by Fresno authorities. Detectives from the LAPD’s Newton Street Division were en route Thursday night to bring him back to Los Angeles.

Thursday morning, the woman’s 7-year-old boy awoke in South-Central Los Angeles to find his mother stabbed to death in a bed next to him and his younger sister gone, detectives said.

Discovery of the body of Marta Chavez Figueroa, 29--stabbed six times--and the disappearance of 6-year-old Jessica Figueroa triggered a daylong search of the neighborhood in the 200 block of West 59th Street.

Homicide detectives said Batista was seen Wednesday night at the converted garage where Figueroa and her children lived. “He was there at the time of the murder,” Lt. Jim Voge said.

After he discovered the body shortly after 8 a.m., Eduardo Figueroa ran to a neighbor’s house crying, “My mother’s dead!” police said. Authorities found a younger sister, Janett, 1, asleep and unhurt when they rushed to the garage, partitioned into three small rooms. It is behind a dilapidated, two-story house.

The two children were placed in protective custody. Their father reportedly lives in Mexico.

Police, who scoured the area with a helicopter and police dogs, said several of the girl’s kindergarten schoolmates reported seeing her at the 61st Street Elementary School about 11 a.m. Thursday.

Figueroa, characterized by neighbors as a quiet, devoutly religious woman, had attended church Wednesday evening. She had complained that a local man had recently bothered her, according to the Rev. Jose Tobar of La Nueva Jerusalem Church.

A smiling child, Jessica often helped her mother with church activities, according to neighbors. “Jessica always seemed so happy,” said Magdelena Aguiar, who works at a local market two doors down from the Figueroas’ church. “Things like this shouldn’t happen.”

She shook her head, continuing, “Marta seemed so respectable, she was kind of quiet. So polite and sweet.”

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Times staff writer Miles Corwin contributed to this story.