Christy Bautista booked a hotel in the District last Friday with plans to attend a concert. What she didn’t expect was to become a victim of one of the city’s most gruesome crimes so far this year.
D.C. police found the 31-year-old Harrisonburg, Virginia, woman dead from 30 stab wounds inside her room at the Ivy City Hotel on New York Avenue in Northeast. Responding officers arrested bloodied ex-con George Sydnor Jr. at the scene and confiscated a large kitchen knife that was partially broken.
“Christy made an impact on everyone’s lives that she encountered. She was a shining light that lifted up everyone’s spirits around her. She encouraged people to do things they were afraid of and cheered them on,” a GoFundMe page set up for Ms. Bautista reads. “Her life was ended way too short by a cruel act of violence that she did not deserve.”
Crime is up 24% in the District just over three months into the year, with violent crime up 3% during that same span. A 32% increase in homicides, a 22% increase in carjackings and a 76% increase in sex abuse crimes are the main drivers for growing concern about public safety in the city — including on the part of Congress, which stepped in last month to overturn an effort by city leaders to reduce some criminal penalties.
Ms. Bautista’s family told local NBC affiliate WRC-TV that they don’t believe Ms. Bautista knew the suspect who attacked her,
That would make her the latest victim of a wave of seemingly random attacks, often in broad daylight, on people throughout the District. The suspects who have been arrested in the incidents, on the other hand, are usually well known to the criminal justice system.
SEE ALSO: Virginia woman found stabbed to death in D.C. hotel
An aide for Sen. Rand Paul was stabbed on H Street late last month by an ex-con just out of prison. In February, Rep. Angie Craig was assaulted in her own apartment building by a man who had 12 prior convictions — the most recent for assaulting a police officer.
The suspect in Ms. Bautista’s slaying has a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions for robbery, burglary and a sex offense. The 43-year-old homeless man is now facing first-degree murder charges for the death of Ms. Bautista.
He pleaded not guilty on Monday. A judge ordered him held without bond.
But Sydnor was actually in custody last fall when he was arrested for armed robbery in October.
A judge at the time ordered him held without bond because he was considered a danger to the community. Local Fox affiliate WTTG obtained a motion from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in December siding with the judge, saying that “the Defendant already has a concerning history of violence and non-compliance while on supervision.”
That didn’t deter D.C. Superior Court Judge Sean C. Staples. The Biden-appointed judge who took over Sydnor’s case granted a request to release the ex-con on supervision after he had pleaded guilty to attempted robbery.
Sydnor was supposed to return to court for his next hearing eight days later; he instead skipped his appearance and the court issued a warrant for his arrest.
Security camera footage from the evening of March 31 showed the suspect lurking outside Ms. Bautista’s room after riding a bike into the hotel parking lot, according to court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate WRC-TV.
Video shows the suspect stepping into her hotel room and moments later, a 911 caller heard signs of a struggle. Ms. Bautista is heard yelling “Help! Help!” before she was pulled back into the room and the door slammed closed.
Police arrived 10 minutes later and knocked on the door, at which point the suspect told them everything was fine, according to court documents. Responding officers saw the man’s bloody hand through the window blinds and then used the master key to enter the room.
Ms. Bautista’s bloodied body was seen lying face down on the floor, while Sydnor was observed trying to light a cigarette. The large kitchen knife with a half-broken blade was found next to Sydnor’s jacket, according to the documents.
The D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Bautista was stabbed 30 times, mostly in the back. Court documents said that one of the injuries pierced her spinal column and likely caused her to be paralyzed.
“I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the family of Christy Bautista. This tragedy is deeply troubling,” Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker said in a statement to The Washington Times.
Councilmember Brooke Pinto of Ward 2 questioned why the suspect was on the streets.
“I am deeply concerned by reports that the perpetrator in this case was released from jail despite a significant criminal history. While pre-trial detention must be applied properly and only in appropriate circumstances, it is vital that individuals who are a threat to the community are not able to cause further harm,” she told The Times in a statement.
Sydnor also had a warrant for his arrest in Maryland on theft charges.
His next court appearance is May 8.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.