CMPD: Woman found dead in east Charlotte apartment; suspect in custody

CHARLOTTE — A man is in custody after a woman was found dead in an east Charlotte apartment Sunday morning, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.

Police found the body of Laura Miller, 35, around 10 a.m. inside an apartment complex along Southwood Oaks Lane.

A Channel 9 crew at the scene could see CMPD patrol cars that filled the parking lot of Stonegate Apartments, and crime scene tape marked the area where officers were investigating.

“Through investigation, a person of interest was identified and has been located. We are not looking for any suspects at this time,” CMPD Maj. J.D. Thomas said.

Police said the victim and suspect knew each other. Officers said Miguel Gonzalez-Rasalas, 36, was taken into custody shortly afterward and was charged with murder, desecrating a body, and auto theft.

Demon Reid, who has lived at the apartment complex for 20 years, told Channel 9′s Glenn Counts that he was stunned to hear the news.

“Honestly, it’s the first time it’s ever happened in this neighborhood here. Never seen any extensive police activity involving any like deaths or murders,” Reid said.

Neighbors said Miller and Rasalas had a tumultuous past. They said the two lived in the same building but in different apartments, and they often heard them arguing and fighting.

Blood still stained the front doorstep of Rasalas’ apartment a day after Miller was found inside.

“She was a nice person,” one neighbor said. “We would say hi to her.”

That neighbor lived right across from Miller. He said last Thursday, he saw Rasalas banging on Miller’s door with a bat.

“He was asking Laura to open the door or else he was going to kill her,” the neighbor said.

A nearby resident also said Rasalas would sometimes be seen walking around with a baseball bat.

Police told Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz the weapon used to kill Miller wasn’t a gun, but investigators didn’t say what the object was.

Neighbors said they saw blood dripping from outside Rasalas’ apartment to the doorstep below, knew something bad had happened, and called police. They said they heard screaming coming from his apartment the night Miller was killed.

Police did say this is not considered a domestic violence situation.

No further information was released.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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