BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A three-year-old Bridgeport boy is without both parents as a result of his mother's murder just over a week ago. And Monday, the boy's father stood before a judge, accused of murdering her.
Corey Ramos, 30, whose record includes numerous domestic violence convictions, had his bond raised to $1.5 million following the murder of his estranged girlfriend, Jennifer Brelsford, 40, whose family says years of abuse by Ramos led to her murder Oct. 18.
Police say Ramos admitted to murdering Brelsford during an afternoon of arguing in her Bridgeport apartment.
"The cause of death, from the Medical Examiner's office was a combination of a laceration to her neck that cut off her blood supply and airflow and she also had a pocketbook that was wrapped tightly around her neck," said Bridgeport Police Captain Brian Fitzgerald.
And it took police just a day to track down the man they suspected all along.
"In situations where there’s domestic violence history, we always look to the spouse, the boyfriend, the husband first," said Fitzgerald.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Ramos, who had two protective orders preventing him from contacting Brelsford, told police the deadly encounter occurred when Jennifer opened the apartment door to scream to neighbors for assistance in an attempt to get him arrested for violating the protective orders.
"We had information early on that Ramos might be fleeing to Vermont," Fitzgerald said.
And the Canadian border patrol took him into custody at the Vermont border the day after the murder. He was extradited to Bridgeport Friday.
Carol Brelsford, the victim's mother, wrote, in a message to FOX61, "I knew for years this was gonna happen. I tried so hard to protect her."
A GoFundMe page, set up to raise money for three-year-old Kayden's future, had raised over $10,000 by late Monday afternoon.