Police are investigating a double murder of a man and an au pair in and around the New Jersey home of a New York City comedy club owner, authorities said.
Authorities arrested Joseph Porter, 27, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, and charged him with two counts of murder and two counts of weapons possession in connection with the deaths of au pair Karen Bermudez-Rodriguez and David Kimowitz, who owned the comedy club, the New York Daily News reported.
Police said Sunday that Porter was the au pair’s boyfriend.
Authorities responded to a report of a woman being assaulted in Maplewood at 6 a.m., Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said in a statement.
One neighbor became aware of the incident when she heard screams of “oh my God” repeatedly at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Once officers arrived, they found the woman lying in the street with stab wounds to her head and on her body. First responders transported her to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead at 7:17 a.m., the North Jersey Record reported.
The Maplewood Police Department was surveying the area when they found the dead man inside the comedy club owner’s home.
Sources told NBC 4 New York that the au pair and her male employer were victims of a double murder.
Electronic property records show that the home belonged to David and Laura Kimowitz. David Kimowitz is the owner of an upscale comedy club in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan called The Stand, the New York Post reported.
The club is described as one of the best venues for stand-up comedy, and has hosted big names such as Tracy Morgan, Dave Chappelle, and Damon Wayans.