A young Winnipeg boy has lost his mother. She was beaten to death in their Elmwood home early Saturday morning.
Sources tell CTV News the 25-year-old woman was beaten with a hammer, and that her four-year-old son was home at the time. He is now staying with family.
The woman's live-in boyfriend, 27-year-old Kevin Strong, is in police custody, charged with second degree murder.
Sometime before or after the beating, the man stabbed himself several times and then called 911.
When paramedics arrived, police had them wait outside the house until they could make sure the scene was safe. When paramedics went in, they found the woman still breathing. They rushed her to hospital; but she died of her injuries.
Police say the victim's boyfriend surrendered while officers were at the house.
Police confirm they've been to the Manhattan Avenue house before. Some neighbours say they occasionally heard the two yelling. Officers are looking into the possibility that drugs were a factor.
The 25-year-old woman's death is Winnipeg's twelfth homicide this year.
Winnipeg hasn't had a domestic homicide since September 2006.
With a report from CTV's Stacey Ashley.
