ST. LOUIS — One woman was killed and another woman was injured in an early morning stabbing in St. Louis Sunday.
On Tuesday, 49-year-old Belinda Garcia was charged with second-degree murder and multiple other charges in connection with the incident.
According to an incident report from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the stabbing happened on the 1300 block of Montclair Avenue at about 3 a.m.
Police were first notified of the stabbing when one of the women showed up at the hospital with a stab wound to the chest. She died a short time later. She was identified Tuesday as Rodnee Willis, a 31-year-old who lived on the block where the stabbing occurred.
During their investigation, police discovered the stabbing happened during an argument over money on Montclair Avenue. Police said Willis had taken $50 from Garcia, and Garcia yelled "I'm going to hurt you, give me my money."
Police said Garcia then stabbed Willis in the chest. When Willis' friend tried to help Willis, Garcia stabbed the friend in the hand and thigh.
The friend, a 29-year-old woman, was treated by first responders on the scene of the stabbing.
On Monday, police arrested Garcia. She was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder, second-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action.
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership with Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/
