NEW YORK — A heated fight over loud music between two roommates at a Midtown homeless shelter ended in bloodshed when one of the women fatally stabbed the other, police said Saturday.
Cops were called to the Project Renewal Shelter just before 10 p.m. Friday for an assault and found Victoria Goode in a sixth-floor hallway with multiple stab wounds, authorities said.
The 27-year-old was allegedly knifed to death by her roommate, Charmaine Crossman, 42, who was angry because Goode refused to turn her music down, police sources said.
“Victoria is young, likes to have fun, play music, smoke a little pot,” said shelter resident Toye Paulia, 51. “Charmaine is older so she told her to please turn down the music and Victoria said no and when she said no, they started arguing. Victoria went off about the music.”
The violent brawl began in their room, but soon spilled out into the hallway by the laundry room.
“No one knew that Charmaine has a weapon,” Paulia said.
Melinda Anders heard the blood curdling screams from four floors below.
“I heard a lot of screaming and I came out went upstairs and seen a lot of blood in the hallway,” Anders, 63, said. “It made my stomach upset. That’s something I can’t forget.”
“I heard it all the way down on the second floor, the walls is very thin here,” she said.
EMS rushed Goode to Bellevue Hospital, where she died.
By the time the ambulance arrived, Crossman was long gone.
“They said she grabbed her bag and left immediately afterwards,” Paulia said.
Police conducted a floor-by-floor search, but couldn’t find Crossman.
The two roommates were always at odds, residents said.
“It’s been said that the two don’t see eye to eye much,” Paulia said. “They’ve been having issues prior to this. Charmaine brought it to the residential aides and they said they can’t change the room because only the Department of Homeless Services can change the room.”
The Project Renewal shelter was built to provide safe living space to women struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.
There have been other fights there, but this one was different.
“I’m scared for my life being around this environment,” said one resident, who would only identify herself as Adina. “It’s not safe.”
Crossman remained at large Saturday.
Police released surveillance videos and photos of her in a subway station wearing a light pink button-up cardigan over a hot pink shirt, black pants and a black backpack.
