Police are looking into whether two transients suspected of stabbing a woman to death in her Carlsbad home Monday morning also broke into another home in the same neighborhood.
A woman named Trish, who lives two streets away from Outrigger Lane where 64-year-old Marjorie Gawitt was stabbed to death in an apparent burglary attempt, told NBC 7 she was also burglarized.
When she woke up Monday morning she realized several of her belongings were missing, including a precious family heirloom.
The Carlsbad Police Department (CPD) received a call around 12:30 a.m. from Gawitt, who reported she had been stabbed in her home on Outrigger Lane just north of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
CPD says Ian Bushee, 37, and Malissa James, 26, entered Gawitt's home with the intention to rob her. Then, the pair stabbed her multiple times before stealing her car and taking off.
Medics responded within minutes and transported Gawitt to Scripps La Jolla Medical Center where she died.
Bushee and James, both transients, were taken into custody in the nearby lagoon hours later. CPD announced that evening the pair had been arrested and charged with homicide, burglary, conspiracy and auto theft.
Police haven't confirmed that Bushee and James also broke entry into Trish's home, but they are investigating.
“They were in my bedroom and I thought, ‘Oh my word,’ they were actually in my bedroom. Thank God I was sound asleep and didn't hear anything," she said.
Trish told NBC 7 she believes sleeping through the burglary is the reason she's alive.
Among the items missing from her home was a beloved flute that belonged to her late daughter.
"I scrambled looking all over for this flute," she said.
Trish said she believes the thieves broke in from the backyard.
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Investigators believe Bushee and James are the only suspects in the deadly stabbing. Their arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday.
Neighbors along Outrigger Lane said they were relieved police had caught the suspects so quickly but were wondering why this particular victim had been targeted in such a violent manner.
Anyone with additional information was asked to call the CPD at (760) 931-2197.
The police department said residents concerned about their home’s security can utilize resources online and on YouTube.
“Be certain, officers are out-and-about patrolling our neighborhoods 24/7 and are just a phone call away. Call us if you need us. We are all a part of the community of Carlsbad," CPD Chief Gallucci said.
On Tuesday, NBC 7 reached out to the victim’s family to learn more about her but, as of 6 p.m., we had not yet heard back from the family.
No other information was available.
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