Police: Man stabbed woman as she was saying goodbye
Brooke Preston was preparing to leave town and saying goodbye to her former roommate when the man inexplicably stabbed her repeatedly Saturday morning in a home in unincorporated West Palm Beach, according to an arrest report released Monday.
Randy Herman Jr., 24, is facing a first-degree murder charge and is being held without bail at the Palm Beach County Jail in connection with Preston’s death.
The report states that Herman and Preston, 21, had been roommates at the home at 813 Sarazen Drive. Preston had recently moved out and planned to return to Pennsylvania, where she grew up.
On Saturday, Preston went to the home to say goodbye to Herman, the report said. Herman, who is also from Pennsylvania, was hugged by Preston then gave her a memorial T-shirt commemorating a mutual friend who had died, the report said.
That’s when Herman allegedly stabbed Preston with a hunting knife, the report said. Preston sustained a dozen stab wounds to her back as well as others to her throat and abdomen. The report notes the woman also suffered defensive cuts to her left hand.
“Herman told me that all he could remember after giving Preston the T-shirt was blood,” a Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office detec tive wrote in the arrest report.
Herman then drove Preston’s vehicle to Haverhill Park, about a half-mile away, where he phoned 911.
“Someone’s been murdered,” Herman told the dispatcher. “I’m at Haverhill Park. Just send the police. It was me. I’m sorry.”
A friend of Preston’s told PBSO the woman had spent part of Friday night with Herman but left the home because Herman was acting weird and was drunk, the report said. Preston told the friend she didn’t feel comfortable spending