Police Arrest Suspect in Logan Circle Stabbing

By D.C. Witness Staff - September 20, 2018
Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

On Sept. 20, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a suspect, charging him with the fatal stabbing of a women in Northwest DC.

Anthony Crawford, who police Chief Peter Newsham said had a residence in Northwest DC, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Wendy Karina Martinez as she jogged near her home in Logan Circle. The stabbing occurred on the 1400 block of 11^th Street, NW on Sept. 18.

“A combination of the information we received from our third district patrol officers and tips from the community helped our homicide detectives establish an identification of the person of interest that we showed in the video,” Newsham told reporters during a press conference that same day. He said the community’s tips were instrumental in closing the case.

Crawford was presented in DC Courts on Sept. 20.

According to the police chief, Crawford was located in a park on 14th and Girard streets in Northwest DC. He was not in the same shirt from the surveillance video, Newsham said.

It is not known if Crawford has any mental issues. The chief said police are investigating the suspect’s criminal and mental past.

Police have not established a motive for the stabbing. But, a knife was recovered from the scene.

“I live in this city,” Newsham said. “I think it is unsettling for anyone in the city for this to happen.” He called the attack unprovoked and isolated, saying that it did not appear to be a robbery.

Martinez, 35, who was recently engaged, was able to run into a Chinese carryout, located on the corner of P Street and 11 Street, NW, where she received medical attention. Despite life-saving efforts, Martinez succumbed from her injuries at a local hospital.

“She was living the most beautiful moment in her life; it was the happiest last seven days,” her mother told the Washington Post.

According to one of Martinez’s friends, who spoke on behalf of the family, a vigil for Martinez is scheduled at 7 p.m. on Sept. 20 in Logan Circle.