The Portland Police Department arrested a resident of the city’s Shalom House on Monday after he allegedly stabbed and murdered an employee of the mental health support home.
[RELATED: Portland Police Investigating Death at Shalom House Facility on Woodford Street…]
Police responded at approximately 9:58 a.m. to the Shalom House at 503 Woodford Street for reports of a stabbing.
The Shalom House is operated by a nonprofit and provides housing and support for Mainers living with mental health issues.
When police arrived, they discovered that a male suspect had allegedly stabbed a 40-year-old female employee before leaving the building.
The victim was suffering from severe injuries and was transported to the Maine Medical Center, where she was ultimately pronounced dead.
The deceased was identified as Marlene McNeill, 40, of Gorham. According to her LinkedIn page, she was the program manager of the Shalom House and was an experienced health care professional.
The Portland Police expressed their condolences to McNeill’s family.
Officers located the suspect at the property at 10:04 a.m., just minutes after first arriving on the scene.
He was arrested without incident and was identified as Armando Javier Negrete, 40, a resident at the Shalom House.
He was charged with murder and transported to the Cumberland County Jail.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police are not planning to release additional details at this time.
As of Tuesday morning, police have not released a mugshot of Negrete, and he does not appear in Cumberland County Jail Records.
