A Manhattan man allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death then ditched her bloody remains in her bathtub in a grisly scene, police and law enforcement sources told The Post.
Melanie Woods, 33, of Second Avenue, was found with multiple stab wounds and a slash across her neck when cops and firefighters busted into her apartment for a welfare check at about 6 p.m. Tuesday night, police and sources told The Post.
EMS workers declared her dead at the scene, and the city medical examiner said it was a homicide.
Woods was supposed to go to California but she never made her plane, sparking concern from her mother and a friend who had tracked her phone’s location back to her apartment.
On Thursday afternoon, cops arrested her boyfriend, 51-year-old Candido Rodriguez of West 22nd Street, and charged him with first-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to police.
One neighbor told cops that he saw Rodriguez in the stairwell at about 7 a.m. Tuesday, while another said they heard a ruckus coming from the apartment that morning before someone closed the door and walked down the stairs, sources said.
Cops found a large table that seemed to be blocking the front door inside the apartment, sources added.
Heartbroken family members Barbara, Stephen and Kelly Woods described Melanie in an online fundraiser as a loving dog mom who traveled widely, sought out adventure and “always rooted for the underdog.”
“To know Melanie was to love her,” they wrote. “She was a vibrant soul who brought out the best in anyone around her, this we will never forget.”
The family wants to bring her home to her native California, they wrote.
Relatives had already raised more than $28,0000 — far more than the $10,000 requested to cremate her and pay for the family to fly to New York so they could sort out her affairs.
“It’s hard to say goodbye to someone who had a big impact on our lives,” they wrote. “It’s always hard to lose someone you know, to let go of Melanie, and move on. But if we keep those good memories in our hearts and minds, we can find comfort and Melanie will always be with us.
“Rest in peace, beautiful girl,” they said. “We love you so much.”