NYC strangulation victim forced into domestic violence shelter by violent killer: sister
A Brooklyn strangulation victim who was allegedly killed by an estranged boyfriend had beaten her in the past and was forced to flee to a domestic violence shelter as recently as January, the victim’s sister told The Post.
Eryka Caldwell, 41, was trying to kick Jonathan Fernandez, 38, out of a Bushwick apartment Sunday morning when prosecutors say the suspect became enraged and cut his throat — then sat quietly on the couch and waited for police, authorities said.
“He tried to find the good in everyone,” Caldwell’s sister, Contessa, said in a phone interview.
“If there was a monster or evil, he was still trying to find a little good in that person,” said his sad sibling. “And this time, [there] It was not good for him to find or fix him.”
Caldwell, who moved from Kentucky to the Big Apple when she was 18, had just moved into a Bushwick apartment in March but couldn’t stop her ex, Contessa said.
Fernandez already had a string of robberies, burglaries and theft of services dating back to 2015 — including an alleged assault on Caldwell in 2024, according to law enforcement sources.
About 20 others have been arrested.
“He was arrested in January, and then there were two other incidents,” said Caldwell’s sister. “I don’t know if he was arrested, but I know that there were two other incidents where the police had to come to the scene, it was domestic violence.
“He was not detained,” he said. “They moved him to hide him in two different places. After being arrested, he was still found, I don’t know how that went.”
He said his sibling – described as a “proud woman” – even kept the troubled relationship a secret from the rest of the family.
“When it comes to his relationship, if it’s abusive or anything, he wouldn’t let me know,” she said.
“I wish she could have gotten help or told someone about the code or something,” he added. “Like what was happening, so that he could get help or someone came over there.”
Around 8:50 a.m. Sunday, Caldwell sent a message to 911 asking for help, and police arrived at the scene and tried to enter the door as they heard screaming inside.
“Help me, you’re stabbing me,” the victim yelled at police, according to prosecutors.
Police eventually managed to get in through a window by pushing the AC unit – and allegedly found Fernandez sitting calmly on the couch while the bloodied victim lay at his feet in the blood-soaked room, prosecutors said.
The suspect, who is facing murder and other charges, appeared in court for the first time on Monday night wearing a white Tyvek suit. His attorney requested a psychiatric evaluation and he was ordered held without bail at Rikers Island.
According to Brooklyn prosecutors, Fernandez surprisingly claimed self-defense.
“The victim started swinging the knife, the defendant also threw the knife and hit the victim first,” said Assistant District Attorney Tziyonah Langsam, explaining the killer’s allegations.
Fernandez is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday.
