Former MLB player Charles Haeger, sought in woman's killing, found dead

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Former professional baseball player Charles Haeger, sought in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend in a Phoenix suburb, was found dead Saturday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Grand Canyon, police said.

Haeger's body was discovered at about 4 p.m. on a trail along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona, Sgt. Ben Hoster, a Scottsdale Police Department spokesman, said in a statement Saturday night.

Police were seeking Haeger, 37, on suspicion of murder and aggravated assault in the fatal shooting Friday, Hoster said.

The victim was identified by police Saturday night as Danielle Breed, 34. Breed owned The Tipsy Coyote Bar and Grill in Scottsdale, the Arizona Republic reported.

Earlier Saturday, Haeger's unoccupied vehicle was found near Flagstaff in northern Arizona, police said. Flagstaff is 118 miles north of Scottsdale.

Haeger, a knuckleball pitcher, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2001, and he pitched 83 innings in the major leagues from 2006 to 2010. His career included stints with the  San Diego Padres,  Los Angeles Dodgers,  Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox organizations.

Hoster said investigators determined that a male roommate of the victim heard gunshots when he returned to the residence Friday and that moments later Haeger emerged from the victim's bedroom with a handgun.

"Haeger then pointed the handgun at the roommate. The roommate quickly escaped out of the back of the residence, and he was able to get a neighbor to call 911," Hoster said in a statement.

Responding police found the victim dead in her bedroom, Hoster said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.