SAN MATEO, Calif. - San Mateo police say a woman who was nine-months pregnant was killed on Sunday. Officials have arrested the woman's boyfriend after he immediately fled to Southern California.
Police said they were called to a home on the 1300 block of South B Street at around 6 p.m. on the report of a pregnant woman who was in "full arrest." Officials called for crowd control as they were told several family members were on scene and said to be "despondent."
When police arrived, they said paramedics told them the 37-year-old pregnant woman was pronounced dead at the scene, as was her unborn child.
The preliminary investigation led authorities to believe the victim's live-in boyfriend was the suspect in the killing. The boyfriend was not present by the time the police arrived. However, he was tracked down by police who said they used, "various means of technology."
The death of a 37-year-old pregnant woman is being investigated by police in San Mateo. The womans boyfriend has since been arrested.
Investigators said the boyfriend left the couple's shared home after the pregnant woman's death. He then traveled by vehicle towards Southern California.
The police department requested assistance from several Southern California law-enforcement agencies, including the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department.
West Covina Police Department located the suspect's vehicle. He was then arrested on several charges.
Police have identified the boyfriend as Andrew Coleman, 33, of San Mateo and Los Angeles. Coleman has been interviewed by San Mateo Police Department and the investigation is ongoing.
KTVU has learned the victim was the mother of four children. A law-enforcement source said Coleman is the father of the unborn child but not of the other children.
"Unfortunately, domestic violence is very regular and we want domestic violence victims to know that there is help out there," said Community Relations Officer Jeanine Luna. "We're seeing it more and more, unfortunately, with mental health issues becoming involved or substance addiction also playing into it, so that's on its own something we're facing, but also the tragic nature, this woman was pregnant and so now we're looking into the death of the infant as well."
Authorities said they had not been called to this residence before and that Coleman did not have prior arrests for serious crimes.
The victim's name and cause of death were not released.
A neighbor we spoke with said this is not what you would expect in this area.
"We walk by relatively frequently, at least once or twice a week, and nothing abnormal. It's pretty quiet," said Emilee Combs of San Mateo.
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said he is working on a proposal to fund a center for domestic violence survivors. He also wants to explore a pilot program to provide universal basic income to victims.
"Domestic violence has really spiked, and this is very problematic not only for our communities but for policymakers. What we've been able to do here in San Mateo County is to partner with CORA," Canepa said.
CORA or Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse is the only agency in the county dedicated to helping those affected by intimate partner abuse. Resources include counseling, emergency housing and legal assistance.
We will update this developing story as we learn more details.
KTVU's Henry Lee contributed to this report.
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