A woman was found dead in a vehicle in the backyard of a Monrovia home and her boyfriend was detained at the scene. Annette Arreola reports for Today in LA on Monday Sept. 22, 2014.
The boyfriend of a woman whose body was found inside a car parked at her family's home was arrested Monday in connection with her slaying.
Joel Velasquez, 49, was arrested and booked at the Monrovia Police Department on suspicion of murder, police said. Velasquez was being held on $1 million bail.
Family members and police identified the victim as Alice Kaplan-Medina, 46. Her body was found in a vehicle after deputies responded to a call Sunday just before 4 p.m. from family members who were concerned about the welfare of their son and his girlfriend.
When deputies arrived to the home in the 200 block of Mauna Loa Drive, they found the man in the backyard of the home and the body of his girlfriend inside the car, which was parked in the backyard.
Details regarding a cause of death were not immediately available.
The woman, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, had been living in the car since leaving a rehabilitation center in April, her father said. She met her boyfriend at the treatment center, according to the father.
Monrovia police told NBC4 they have responded at least five times this year to the property after domestic disturbance reports.
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A neighbor, who did not want to identify herself, said she heard the boyfriend yelling on the sidewalk,"I just lost it, I just lost it," as police arrived.
NBC4's Annette Arreola contributed to this report.
