Saturday, November 3, 2012

Galveston, TX: Woman killed in domestic dispute

Published October 30, 2012
GALVESTON — A woman stabbed to death during a domestic dispute became the city’s fourth homicide victim this year.

Jackie Bergara, 53, was found dead of a knife wound Sunday, and her boyfriend, Richard Beverly, 44, was charged with murder, authorities said Monday.

Bond for Beverly was set at $250,000, but he remained hospitalized Monday after overdosing on pills, Galveston police Lt. Michael Gray said.

A relative of Beverly’s called a police dispatcher about 4:20 a.m. Sunday. Police arrived at 3002 69th St. and saw Beverly through the apartment window, but he wouldn’t answer the door, Gray said.

“Officers on the scene were concerned about the welfare of Bergara and could see Beverly sitting in a chair through the window,” Gray said. ‘Therefore, the circumstances warranted forced entry to the residence.”

Officers found Bergara’s body inside and she was pronounced dead at the scene, Gray said.

The killing was the result of a domestic dispute, Gray said.

Beverly was taken to the University of Texas Medical Branch where he remained Monday under police guard. He is expected to recover and then will be taken to the Galveston County Jail, Gray said.

An autopsy was performed Monday, and Bergara’s death from a single knife wound was ruled a homicide, said John Florence, a spokesman with the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office.

A search of Galveston police records revealed no reports that Bergara had previously been a victim of domestic violence, Gray said.

Bergara’s homicide was the fourth reported in Galveston this year and the ninth countywide.

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