Woman Found Fatally Injured After Calling Cops On Stalker Convicted Of Assaulting Her

A 71-year-old woman has been found fatally injured at her home in Washington D.C, after calling cops multiple times to protect her from her stalker.

The woman's stalker, who has been previously convicted of assaulting her, broke into her home and murdered her, police said.

The police have arrested the suspect, identified as Michael Garrett, on charges of assault with intent to kill for murdering Sylvia Matthews at her home on Friday. Matthews was found unconscious with severe head trauma and was transported to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead. The police took Garrett into custody from the basement of the apartment, NBC Washington reported.

Matthews met Garrett in 1998 while she worked at a pharmacy of the Old Lorton Reformatory, where Garrett was an inmate. After getting released from jail the next year, Garrett broke into Matthews' home and assaulted her.

Garrett was then sentenced to 24 years in prison on assault charges. However, after the COVID outbreak, he got out under "compassionate release" in March, two years before the end of his sentence.

After getting released from prison, the police arrested Garrett on Oct. 7, charging him with threatening Matthews at her front door. However, the prosecutors declined the case, as reported by WUSA9.

According to the arrest affidavit, Matthews had called cops thrice on the morning of the fatal incident, seeking protection from Garrett.

The first call reported a burglary after Garrett broke both the windows on the victim’s vehicle and a glass door at the back of the home, police said. The second time the victim called the police, Garrett was on the phone with her, and the officers advised him to leave her alone.

Garrett refused to talk to the officers, the arrest affidavit said. Police found Matthews with life-threatening injuries when they responded the third time, as per McClatchy DC.

Matthews' family is devastated by the loss and believes that her death could have been prevented. “Oh my gosh, we’re devastated...It’s like the system failed us," a family member told NBC Washington.

Garrett is currently being held without bond, according to the court records.