PEABODY, Mass. (
MyFoxBoston.com) -- A man was arrested in the stabbing death of his longtime girlfriend, and arraigned in court on a murder charge Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday morning at around 8:30 a.m., Peabody police responded to the home at 1 Gates Road. There, they found 59-year-old Brandon Hoar sitting on the steps of the home. He reportedly told police he stabbed his live-in girlfriend, and officers found 55-year-old Cheryl Young inside lying on the couch. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Police arrested Hoar, who was charged with first-degree murder, and arraigned in court Tuesday afternoon and held without bail.
Young's 5-year-old granddaughter was also in the home. Neighbor Frank Mangino said that Young had custody of her granddaughter.
"And I'd see the baby, and we'd talk about the baby," he said.
Mangino says that little girl is friends with his granddaughter and says she looked frightened when he saw her outside Tuesday morning, so he invited her on to watch television.
Other neighbors say they saw Hoar sitting on the stairs waiting for police. When police asked him where the knife was, neighbors say he said "still in her heart."
Young's best friend Lisa Gafney said, "I was just there the day before yesterday. They get along wonderful. I have no idea how this could ever happen."
Gafney is afraid Young's 5-year-old grandchild saw what happened. Young reportedly had custody of the young girl because her daughter had an addiction problem.
Neighbors say the little girl was taken to the hospital to get checked out. A family friend told us she is staying with other grandparents somewhere in N.H.
Hoar will appear in court again on July 16 for a probable cause hearing.
