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Woman Stabs Boyfriend to Death in Homeless Shelter, Police Say

By  Trevor Kapp and Aidan Gardiner | May 16, 2017 8:44am | Updated on May 16, 2017 10:42am

 Tania Rodas was arrested for fatally stabbing her boyfriend in the chest, police said.
Tania Rodas was arrested for fatally stabbing her boyfriend in the chest, police said.
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DNAinfo/Trevor Kapp

HARLEM — A woman fatally stabbed her longtime boyfriend in a Central Park North homeless shelter Monday night, NYPD officials said.

Tania Rodas, 37, was arguing with her boyfriend, 38-year-old Elliot Hodges, before stabbing him in the chest inside the Park View Hotel where they lived at 55 Central Park North, near Malcolm X Boulevard, about 6:50 p.m., police and a friend said.

"He was stabbed one time in the chest, causing his demise," said Robert Boyce, the NYPD's Chief of Detectives.

Hodges was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai St. Luke's, police said.

"I went to their room last night and saw cops standing in front of the door. There was blood all over the floor. I was just thinking, 'What the hell could've happened?'" said Jacray Davis, 40.

Rodas, who had been dating the victim for about 15 years, was arrested at the scene for murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police said Tuesday morning.

"We arrested her on the scene. We recovered the knife," Boyce said.

It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the deadly stabbing.

Police had previously investigated a domestic incident between the two on Dec. 16, an NYPD spokesman said.

"They argued a lot," Davis said. "But I never saw bruises on her or anything like that."

Hodges had a daughter who lived in Brooklyn, Davis said.

"He talked about her a lot. He liked basketball. He always walked around with his radio. He loved hip-hop," Davis said.

"He was a good guy. He'll be missed," he added.