Jilted boyfriend chased and stabbed former girlfriend to death on the streets after killing her boss in his house
MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY: A jealous ex-boyfriend has been charged with double homicide after he stabbed his former girlfriend and her boss to death after waiting inside the latter's house for three and a half hours.
Prosecutors said that Joseph Porter, 27, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, could not accept the fact that his Colombian girlfriend, Karen Bermudez-Rodriguez — an au pair for Manhattan comedy club boss David Kimowitz — broke up with him, Daily Mail reported.
He had a key to his girlfriend’s boss’ house and on August 3, he went down to the house in the middle of the night, crept up to a second-floor bedroom with a knife and allegedly stabbed a sleeping Kimowitz to death.
He then waited for his girlfriend to arrive at the house. After nearly four hours, he was seen by neighbors chasing the 26-year-old woman down the street after she fled from him and stabbing her using a different kitchen knife.
Although Bermudez-Rodriguez was physically restrained by Porter inside the house, she had somehow managed to free herself and run for her life.
“Please come immediately — someone is dying!' one of the neighbors who called the emergency services could be heard yelling to the dispatcher. “She's on the street, someone attacked her. I think she's bleeding to death. I think she may already be dead. Hurry! Ambulance immediately!”
Kimowitz was found dead at his home when officers were led to it following a a trail of blood.
At the Essex County Superior Court in Newark, where the defendant appeared for the first time on Wednesday, prosecutors attempted to provide a more accurate timeline of the killings.
“Videos provided have the defendant entering the residence of the male victim at 2:45 am and have him chasing the female victim at 6:15 am,” prosecutor Jason Alterbaum told Judge Nancy Sivilli. “Within a span of four hours, this defendant killed two people.”
Kimowitz was married and he and his wife had two daughters. His family was reportedly away for the weekend when the incident took place.
Shortly before the alleged murders took place, Bermudez-Rodriguez texted Porter, demanding that he return her keys to the Kimowitzes' home. As to how the accused got his hands on the keys was not immediately clear.
Porter pleaded not guilty to charges through a Portuguese translator during his court appearance. The judge did not grant him bail, deeming him to be a flight risk as he was caught by the authorities trying to escape to Cancun, Mexico, after his alleged crimes.