Man charged with prostitute’s murder
A man has been charged in yesterday's murder of a 29-year old suspected female prostitute. The 33-year old man, whose name has not been released by police, was arrested just hours after the discovery of the woman's body late last night. The man was found hiding 2 blocks away from the area where police discovered the woman's body, in an abandoned warehouse near Scott Avenue and 2nd Street. The man, who did not resist arrest, according to police, is being held without bail.
Officer Robert Singleton said that preliminary examination of the scene indicates that drugs may have been involved. "An autopsy scheduled today should yield more information about the exact cause of death," said Officer Singleton.
"I could have predicted this," said Cathy Lask, a counselor at a local shelter for battered women. "We have seen an increased number of street prostitutes who have experienced violence by their clients. It was only a matter of time before it turned deadly." Ms. Lask said that the percentage of prostitutes who report physical abuse remains very low.
City council representative Judy Owens challenged the mayor to act quickly, "What has brought this tragedy to Central City is the underlying problem of street prostitution. The police have done nothing to address this issue, which gets worse every day. Mayor Coleman, how many people have to die before you act?"
Mayor Coleman acknowledged his office's frustration, but assured the community, "In 6 months, we have doubled the number of arrests related to prostitution. Obviously, we need to dig deeper into the problem to find a more appropriate solution." Rumors point to the hiring of an outside consultant.