Authorities in New York City have arrested a 51-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend and leaving her bloody body in the bathtub.
Candido Rodriguez was arrested Thursday, two days after his ex-girlfriend Melanie Woods was found slain inside her Second Avenue apartment.
The 33-year-old’s throat was slit and she suffered several stab wounds, police said.
Her mother and a friend called 911 requesting a wellness check on her after she did not show up for a flight to California.
Rodriguez was allegedly spotted in the stairwell of the apartment building by a neighbor at around 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Family members described the victim as a “vibrant soul” who “always rooted for the underdog.”
“To know Melanie was to love her. She was a vibrant soul who brought out the best in anyone around her, this we will never forget.”
