(WSVN) - Police have made an arrest in connection to the fatal stabbing of a jogger in D.C.
According to Washington D.C. police, they arrested 23-year-old Anthony Crawford Thursday morning in the death of Wendy Martinez, 35, who grew up in Palm Beach County.
Crawford has since been charged with first-degree murder.
Martinez was stabbed Tuesday night. She was rushed to the hospital but died there.
Martinez was out for a run near her home in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Surveillance video shows her passing and glancing back at a man on the street.
Seconds later, she is seen stumbling into a Chinese takeout restaurant after she was stabbed.
Police said Martinez was known to run for miles around the city. She lived near where the attack happened.
At a press conference Thursday, Peter Newsham, chief of D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, said, “Wendy, who was known as an avid runner, was jogging westbound on P Street. When she arrived at this intersection, at 11th and P, the suspect was at the intersection and stabbed her.”
Wednesday, police were out canvassing the neighborhood searching for the killer while releasing video of a person of interest seen walking through the neighborhood.
Late Wednesday night, police took a suspect in for questioning. “Homicide detectives last night searched the surrounding areas,” said Newsham. “They located this individual in a park … He was transported to the homicide division for questioning.”
Martinez grew up in Greenacres, Florida, and those who knew her said she enjoyed jogging, was recently engaged and worked at an internet start-up where she was recently promoted.
Now, a family and a community are left to cope with this unexpected tragedy.
“It’s so sad that we’re having to be hit with that reality, that the world isn’t always safe,” said another D.C. runner.
Police said it does appear the suspect was a stranger to Martinez.
Crawford does have a criminal history, police noted.
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