UPDATED: 12:20 a.m. on April 28
A woman was killed Wednesday morning in what appears to have been a stabbing, police said.
One person has been arrested.
Newark Police arrested a 32-year-old man who was found outside of the residence with his clothes and hands covered in blood, according to a press release.
The man, identified as Jason Otis Monroe, has been taken into custody and will be booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, Douglas said.
Monroe is scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m., Friday at the Fremont Hall of Justice. He is being held at Santa Rita Jail without bail, officials said at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday.
Newark police responded to the 36000 block of Cherry Street at 11:31 a.m. Wednesday to a report of a beating, said Newark Police Commander Bob Douglas in a press release.
A 25-year-old woman was found dead inside the residence from possible stab wounds.
The name of the victim has not yet been released, but a neighbor said she is Monroe's girlfriend and the mother of his two sons.
Brenda Pundt, whose family owns a house across the street, also told Newark Patch that several neighbors said they heard a ruckus before police arrived.
Neighbor Angie Contreras said the woman lived in the home with Monroe. She said they had two young boys together.
"I heard him yelling," said Contreras, who added that neighbors have heard disturbances from the home before. "I've heard him yell before but not like this time. I heard her voice yelling back, 'No, no.' "
Newark police did confirm that they have responded to calls at the residence before Wednesday's incident.
Contreras described the scene further, saying, "The kids were crying, 'My mom's dead. ...Dad stabbed Mom.' "
Contreras said she went into the house to check on the woman while Monroe was being held down by his mother, who also lived at the house, according to neighbors,
"At first I couldn't find her. Then I went into the bedroom... I saw her lying face down, full of blood. She looked like she was already dead," said Contreras, who added she saw a knife laying next to the woman.
Police did not specify the relationship between the victim and suspect during a press conference Wednesday afternoon but confirmed that they knew each other.
"This is not a random act," Douglas said.
Police did not state a cause of death, and the investigation is ongoing.
This is the first homicide in Newark in 2011. There were in the city in 2010.
About half of the block of Cherry Street between Dairy Avenue and George Avenue remained closed through about 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The incident occurred not far from where a 14-year-old boy was shot and injured March 17 by a 17-year-old boy, who was
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Sergeant Michael Carroll at (510) 578-4247. Anonymous tips can be called into (510) 578-4000, extension 500.
Newark Patch will update this story as more information is released.
