Man Booked For Murder In Death Of Girlfriend In Monrovia
MONROVIA (CBSLA.com) — A man was booked on suspicion of murder Monday in the death of his girlfriend, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said.
Joel Velasquez, 49, was held on $1 million bail in the death of 46-year-old Alice Medina-Kaplan, whose body was found in an SUV behind her home in the 200 block of Mauna Loa Drive about 3:50 p.m. Sunday, according to sheriff's deputies and the coroner's office.
Medina-Kaplan was reportedly mentally ill and had been living in her SUV since April, when she left a treatment center where she met Velasquez.
Velasquez was detained at the scene. His parents had called deputies at the sheriff's Industry Station and said they were worried about him and his girlfriend.
Maria called KCAL9 News and said her son told her by telephone and text message that he was hurting himself and that it was too late for his girlfriend.
"It was terrible, really terrible. He cut his arms," Cortes said. "I guess she drank a beer or something or had some drinks and he just like really lost it. He was trying to make her quiet. I guess he choked her," she said.
Cortes said both her son and his girlfriends suffered from mental illness.
"My whole life I've been trying to help him, to get help. Never in a million years would I believe this was going to happen, never," she said.
Earlier sheriff's Deputy Amber Smith said Medina-Kaplan was apparently strangled, but an autopsy is pending.
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