SAN ANTONIO, TX – A woman was killed in what authorities have described as a case of extreme domestic violence on Tuesday night. According to a local resident, the victim had frequently been observed in heated arguments and suspected instances of physical assault with her partner.
The neighbor, Roy Gonzales, expressed he had advised the victim to leave the situation if it wasn’t improving. He witnessed the police cars and flashing lights on Division Avenue, near S. Flores Street, Tuesday night but was surprised to learn the woman next door had been murdered. According to Gonzales, the woman was friendly and often played with his dogs.
San Antonio police have since arrested 52-year-old James Mendoza on a charge connected to the murder. A police report cites that the victim’s family had called for a welfare check after being unable to contact her. Family members were concerned due to a previous incident of domestic violence between Mendoza and the woman.
Upon entering the home at around 11 p.m., officers discovered the woman deceased with multiple stab wounds. Mendoza was also found in the home with self-inflicted stab wounds. After being treated for his injuries, he was charged with murder.
Adding to the domestic violence allegations, records confirm Mendoza’s criminal history, indicating previous arrests, including two instances in the 1990s and one assault charge around the same period. The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) also reported two recent calls concerning disturbances at the couple’s house, apart from Tuesday’s calls that led to the woman’s death.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office had not confirmed the woman’s identity.