A Castaic woman is in custody in connection with a stabbing murder in a quiet Castaic community, according to Sheriff’s Department records.
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Denise Ann Gillis, 48, of Castaic, was booked on a murder charge around noon, according to Sheriff’s Department records and an official with the Century Regional Detention Facility.
Related: Santa Clarita Valley Deputies, Homicide Detectives Respond To Castaic Death
An official with the Homicide Bureau of the Sheriff’s Department confirmed the death was a stabbing, and that it’s being investigated as a murder.
A “suspicious death” was reported Friday at 9:15 a.m. on the 31900 block of Emerald Lane, in a small residential community called Stonegate.
Gillis was taken into custody around 10:30 a.m., according to Sheriff’s Department records and a neighbor who saw her placed in handcuffs in front of the home.
A woman reportedly lived in the home with her father, according to neighbors, although Sheriff’s Department officials have not yet revealed the identity of the victim.
An official with the Coroner’s Office said the earlies an autopsy would completed is Monday.
Until then, the official cause of death and identity of the victim is not going to be released, officials said.
No additional information was available at this time, and Homicide Bureau detectives could not be reached for comment.
Gillis is due back in court Tuesday, according to records.
She’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Lynwood jail.
From a previous story:
Ruth Seeder, a 17-year resident of the neighborhood said it’s “very unusual” for a suspicious death to happen in the neighborhood.
“I walk around here at night all the time,” she said. “We all kind of look out for one another.”
Seeder said a younger woman and an older man lived in the house, and the woman was frequently seen walking her dog.
Another neighbor described Gillis’ behavior in the days before the arrest as “erratic” and worrisome.
The murder is the Santa Clarita Valley’s second homicide in 2014.
Related: UPDATE: Suspected Santa Clarita Stabbing Murder Could Be Gang Related
The first murder was the Jan. 10 stabbing death of Jose Eduardo Ocampo, who was killed on the 18100 block of Sundowner Way in Canyon Country.
No arrests have been made in that crime.
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