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Man Charged With Killing Woman, Wounding Man In East Harlem Stabbing

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man has been charged with stabbing a man and woman – leaving the woman dead – and starting a fire in their apartment in East Harlem.

David Elias, 31, of the 200 block of West 103rd Street, has been charged with murder, attempted murder and arson in connection with the Saturday afternoon incident in a 10th floor apartment at 1980 Park Ave. just south of Harlem River Drive.

Police came to the apartment at 4:25 p.m. Saturday, after calls of a fire. Once the small fire was out, officers found the man and woman inside the apartment with stab wounds, police said.

Ruth Montano, 55, of the Park Avenue address, suffered multiple stab wounds to the torso, police said. She was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital Center, police said.

The man, 32, suffered multiple stab wounds to the torso and head, and was reported in critical condition at Harlem Hospital Center.

Officers obtained Elias' name and description, and transmitted it through a police radio bulletin. Afterward, officers from Transit District No. 4 stationed at the 125th Street and Lexington Avenue 4-5-6 line subway station found a man fitting the description walking into the station and stopped him.

After police confirmed his identity, Elias was arrested and later charged, police said.

Police have not commented on a possible motive for the stabbing.

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