A man accused of fatally stabbing his live-in girlfriend in Sylmar was charged Monday with murder.
Sergio Jimenez Rodriguez, 31, is also facing an allegation that he personally used a knife during the crime last Wednesday, according to the criminal complaint.
He is accused of killing 35-year-old Nancy De La Torre, who was found inside the apartment she shared with the suspect, police said. She was found in the unit with multiple stab wounds. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police said the victim and suspect “were in a cohabiting relationship and … this was an incident of domestic violence.” It remained unclear what prompted the deadly attack.
Witnesses told police at the scene of the stabbing that a man was seen running from the area after the attack, police.
Officers began an extensive search for the suspect Wednesday night. Around 5 a.m. Thursday, officers descended on the area of Hubbard and Eighth Street, about four miles from the murder scene, and set up a perimeter as they searched for the man. By 10 a.m., the suspect was taken into custody in that area, police said.
The search resulted in a brief closure of Gridley-Montanez Dual Language Academy, with all students relocated to Maclay Middle School, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The school was reopened following the arrest.