Woman found dead with rosary beads stuffed down throat

HIGHBRIDGE, Bronx -- A woman was discovered dead with rosary beads stuffed down her throat in a Bronx apartment building Tuesday evening, according to police.

The 33-year-old mother of three was found in the hallway of a building on Anderson Avenue in Highbridge just before 5:30 p.m.

When police arrived, they reportedly found a 34-year-old man naked in the street, yelling something about the devil. Responding officers had to use a taser to subdue him. He was taken to Bronx Lebanon Hospital for evaluation.

As stunned neighbors consoled each other, crime scene investigators went to work looking for clues and answers.

Police have not released the victim's name, but neighbor Martha Carrasquillo has known her for years.

"Before anyone says anything that is bad about her, regardless of her ups and downs in life, she was a beautiful person and she was always with her boys," she said. "Anytime I seen her, she was with her boys."

An autopsy will determine the woman's cause of death.

Detectives are trying to determine the relationship between the woman and the man, but Carrasquillo believes she has an idea.

"I just know that she was dating him for what they call 'a minute' now, and they were trying to keep her away from him," she said. "But we don't know what happened."

Anyone with information is urged to contact police.