ARLINGTON, Va. — A woman who was stabbed and killed in Arlington on Monday was pregnant for a few weeks, according to her current boyfriend.
Police said 37-year-old Shontae Crawford was stabbed by 35-year-old Alimamy Fornah after they got into an argument. The incident happened inside Terwilliger Place on Washington Boulevard at around 5 a.m.
Officers with the Arlington County Police Department responded to find Crawford in the hallway.
Family and friends said the victim and suspect were together for 12 years but still shared the same apartment after they broke up.
The only witness inside the apartment was 39-year-old Michael Webb, who was dating Crawford for about three months. Webb, who was visiting, said the two locked themselves in a room when they got into an argument. He later burst through the door when the commotion intensified.
“I heard a noise and what sounded like a crash,” recalled Webb. “He had her pinned on the floor between the bed and the wall. There was blood on the wall and her throat was severely damaged by I believe a kitchen knife or something to that extent.”
Webb called 911 and tried to get her to safety. He showed WUSA9 the cuts and blood marks around his fingers from when he stepped in.
“I hit him in the face, and he fell,” said Webb. I grabbed her and pulled her up and she proceeded to go out of the apartment. We started to make our way down and away from him. We encountered him again and I hit him about five times.”
Police found Fornah in the building and took him into custody without incident. He was treated for minor injuries at the hospital before he was charged with murder.
Webb said Crawford recently found out she was pregnant. Her cousin Erica Savoy told WUSA9 she recently posted on Facebook alluding to announcing a pregnancy.
Crawford also leaves behind her 15-year-old son Dimauri who is diagnosed with autism.
“She had a beautiful soul,” said Savoy. “She was always there to offer help.”
“I lost my child,” added Webb. “Every time I close my eyes, all I see is her and everything that happened.”
Family members said Crawford suffered physical, mental, and emotional abuse by Fornah for many years. There were domestic violence calls throughout the years.
“I knew it would happen one day because of the severity of the abuse," said her sister-in-law Emily Crawford. "You pray it doesn't happen. Just a month ago he put her in the hospital from physical abuse. It was constant."
Her brother Lamont Crawford said she tried to get away from the relationship and even sought shelter four times but claimed Fornah manipulated his way back in.
"He was so controlling that he didn't want her around us," added Emily Crawford.
Savoy created a GoFundMe to help the family with funeral expenses. Click on this link to learn more.
The GoFundMe said, “Shontae was a beautiful bright spark in this world with a smile that lit up any room she walked in. She touched the lives of so many and will be deeply missed.”
If anyone you know is suffering from domestic violence, they can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.