Virginia woman allegedly stabbed to death in her hotel room by man who was recently released from jail
A man has been charged with first-degree murder for the stabbing of a woman from Virginia who was in Washington, D.C., for a concert.
On Friday, Christy Bautista, 31, was killed less than an hour after checking into the Ivy City Hotel on New York Avenue by a man who entered her hotel room and stabbed her 30 times, according to police and court documents.
A witness who heard Bautista screaming for help reportedly saw her being pulled inside the room before calling 911.
About 10 minutes later, officers who responded to the scene saw George Sydnor Jr., 43, with bloody hands and clothes through the hotel room’s partially closed blinds. They obtained the hotel’s master key and entered the room at around 7 p.m., where they found Bautista on the floor with stab wounds.
Sydnor was also found inside the hotel room trying to light a cigarette. According to police, there was blood on his shoes, pants and blue fleece vest.
Bautista was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:11 p.m.
“Our family is devastated by the loss of our beloved Christy,” Bautista’s family said in a statement. “She brought joy to everybody who knew her and was a shining light in all of our lives.”
According to court documents, a large kitchen knife missing half its blade was found on one of the beds, the other half of which was located in Syndor’s jacket pocket.
Syndor was taken to a hospital for treatment of lacerations on his hands before he was taken into custody to be questioned and processed by police.
Authorities said surveillance footage shows Sydnor riding a bicycle into the hotel parking lot at about 6:45 p.m. before entering Bautista’s hotel room. Security cameras captured the sounds of a possible struggle, according to court documents.
A medical examiner said Bautista was stabbed dozens of times in the spine, lungs and liver. Her spine was punctured and her ribs were broken by the force.
Syndor’s court records show that he had been arrested many times over the past two decades, including for an armed robbery charge last October.
He was accused of brandishing a firearm to a woman in her car in Southeast Washington, demanding her to give him her car keys and cellphone and exit the vehicle.
Syndor, who pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, was released from jail in January before his sentencing. He was expected to appear in court in Maryland for a hearing about a separate larceny charge.
The suspect was ordered to report back to the D.C. court to receive a GPS monitoring device, which he was expected to wear until his February sentencing date. After appearing once in a Prince George’s County court, he stopped attending his court appointments.
At the time of the attack, Sydnor was reportedly wanted on two arrest warrants for a theft case in Prince George’s County and for failing to appear in court on an attempted robbery charge in D.C.
On Monday, Sydnor pleaded not guilty in court. He was charged with first-degree murder and was denied bond by a D.C. judge who cited his criminal history.
Bautista’s family do not believe that she and the suspect knew each other. The suspect’s motive remains unclear.
Sydnor is due back in court on May 8.
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