OAKLAND -- A 27-year-old man who has three prior felony convictions has admitted to killing his girlfriend, who was found covered in blood and not breathing early Tuesday morning at Lake Merritt, according to court documents.
The suspect, Dominic Daniel, was sentenced to probation in each of the previous cases, and was still serving his probationary term on the most recent conviction when he was arrested Tuesday, records show.
The victim, Tsega Tesfoy Tsegay, 33, lived with Daniel in Oakland, police said. Police Officer Randolph Brandwood said that Daniel admitted that he assaulted his "common-law wife, causing injuries which caused her death," according to charging documents filed in Alameda County Superior Court.
Daniel was charged with murder Thursday by the Alameda County District Attorney's office and remains in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail. He was arraigned on the charge Thursday afternoon.
Police initially said the woman was found on the ground, with massive head trauma, by a jogger near the southern end of Lake Merritt at 6:10 a.m. Tuesday.
Brandwood's report, however, said Daniel was arrested at 5:45 a.m. and "the subject observed pulling woman from Lake Merritt (sic)." It was not clear who pulled the woman from the lake near the 1500 block of Lakeshore Avenue.
Daniel was at the scene, police said. He also was covered in blood, but was not seriously injured, police said. He was immediately detained and later arrested on suspicion of murder.
Records show that Daniel was convicted June 25 in Alameda County Superior Court of false imprisonment by violence and sentenced to probation. The victim in that case was not immediately known.
He also was convicted Aug. 15, 2008, of felony driving a stolen car and felony accessory to a crime after the fact in Solano County, court records show.
Tsegay is Oakland's 66th homicide victim this year. Her family was not available for comment.
Passers-by who came to Tsegay's rescue called 911 and started CPR while they waited for the ambulance, which transported her to the trauma center at Highland Hospital where she later died, police said.
Anyone with additional information about this incident should call police at 510-238-3821.
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