NEW YORK, NY – A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of Melanie Woods, who was found stabbed to death in her apartment in East Harlem, police reported.
Candido Rodriguez, the ex-boyfriend of Woods, was apprehended by authorities following the gruesome discovery made during a wellness check requested after Woods failed to show up for a planned trip to California.
Woods, 33, was discovered by officers inside her apartment, unconscious and unresponsive in a bathtub, with multiple stab wounds to her chest and cuts on her neck. The incident was deemed a homicide, and Woods was pronounced dead at the scene later that evening.
Investigations uncovered that witnesses heard signs of a disturbance from Woods’ apartment early in the morning on the day of her death, followed by an individual leaving the premises. Surveillance footage captured Rodriguez arriving at the building by cab and subsequently exiting the building around the time of the incident, conflicting with his alibi of being at home asleep at the time of the crime.
Despite denying any involvement in Woods’ death, Rodriguez was taken into custody and now faces charges related to her murder. Details about legal representation for Rodriguez were not immediately available.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about the case to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation.