Phoenix police say two officers' decision to pay for a troubled man's restaurant tab led to his being arrested in his roommate's stabbing death.

Sgt. Tommy Thompson told the Associated Press Friday the officers went to a restaurant this week where a man had said he had no money to pay for his meal.

The officers concluded the man had some type of mental health issue, so they paid for his meal and tip and took him to a behavioral health facility rather than take him to jail, Thompson said. At the facility a short time later, the man told staff there he'd done something bad to his roommate, Thompson said.

Police were contacted and went to his apartment, where they found the body of 29-year-old Steven Horkovy, who apparently had been killed Tuesday, Thompson said.