Manhattan detectives are on the hunt for the killer who stabbed a woman to death in front of a Washington Heights apartment building early on Monday morning.
Police said the murder — believed to have stemmed from a domestic dispute — happened at about 5:35 a.m. on May 20 in front of 134 Haven Ave.
Officers from the 33rd Precinct, in responding to a 911 call about the incident, found Shirley Rodriguez, 29, who lived inside the Haven Avenue location, unconscious and unresponsive. Rodriguez had suffered multiple stab wounds about her body.
Moments earlier, according to a source familiar with the case, Rodriguez became embroiled in a verbal dispute with a man in front of the apartment building. It’s believed that she was in a relationship with the male, though police are still working to determine the exact nature.
The argument eventually turned violent, the sources said, when the male suspect pulled out a sharp object and began repeatedly stabbing Rodriguez about the face, neck, arm and back of torso. Following the bloody assault, he fled from the scene northbound on Haven Avenue toward West 173rd Street.
EMS rushed her to Harlem Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Rodriguez’s body was transferred to the Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. However, the NYPD already declared the case a homicide.
So far, no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation, police said.
Anyone with information regarding the case can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
The 33rd Precinct had not registered a single homicide this year as of May 19, according to the most recent CompStat report. Felony assaults, however, were up 3.2% year-to-date.
If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence, there is help; call the 24-hour NYC Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-621-HOPE.
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