D.C. police announced Thursday the arrest of a 23-year-old Northwest man in the fatal stabbing of a female jogger Tuesday evening in Logan Circle — an “unexplained, brutal attack” that shocked the neighborhood.
Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham at a news conference said officers on Thursday had arrested Anthony Crawford. He is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Wendy Martinez, 35.
Ms. Martinez was stabbed repeatedly as she was jogging at about 8 p.m. Tuesday in Logan Circle, not far from her home. She stumbled into a Chinese restaurant, where customers tried to stop her bleeding before authorities arrived. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Chief Newsham said Thursday he is “very confident” Mr. Crawford is the person responsible for the death of Ms. Martinez, who worked at a software company.
There is no known motivation for what the chief called an “unexplained, brutal attack,” but police have ruled out robbery.
Authorities said Mr. Crawford was in custody and was not cooperating with police. He was found in a public park at 14th and Girard streets in Northwest, police said.
Police provided little information about the suspect, saying only that he had a criminal history and was not homeless.
Mayor Muriel Bowser called the apparently random attack “damaging to all of our senses of safety.” She also offered condolences to Ms. Martinez’s family, calling her death “devastating.”
Outside the Asian American Chinese and American Food restaurant, Logan Circle residents have created a shrine of flowers marking where Ms. Martinez collapsed after Tuesday’s attack.
Residents said they don’t feel any safer now that Ms. Martinez’s suspected attacker is off the streets.
“You never know what can happen because this was a random act of violence,” said Francisca Cativa, who was walking her daughter to school Thursday.
Ms. Cativa said she has been more aware of surroundings since the attack.
Telma Majano, co-owner of the restaurant next door to where Ms. Martinez collapsed, agreed.
“There are a lot of people in the parks with drug addiction and mental health issues,” said Ms. Majano, co-owner of Benito’s Place. “The city needs to take care of them. It’s not just the people who want to rob you that you need to worry about but also this kind of situation.”
Ms. Martinez was jogging on the 1400 block of 11th Street NW when she was attacked. She stumbled into the Chinese restaurant, whose manager Tommy Wu called 911 while customers tended to her wounds. He said the police arrived in about three minutes.
Footage from the restaurant’s surveillance camera shows Ms. Martinez running into the restaurant, screaming for help.
The grainy video allowed police to create a description of the suspect. Chief Newsham said neighborhood residents and the public assisted in finding a suspect to match the description.
A knife used in the attack was recovered near the scene, the police chief added.
Before Mr. Crawford’s arrest, the police department had offered a $25,000 reward for information that would lead to an arrest.
⦁ Gabriella Muñoz contributed to this report.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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