Woman Dead, Teen In Custody After Bel Air Murder: Sheriff

BEL AIR, MD — A 56-year-old woman was found dead Thursday morning in what authorities have deemed a homicide at the home where she lived in Bel Air.

The deceased has been identified as Donna Zaragoza, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies found the woman in the 1000 block of Jeanett Way, where they were dispatched at 6:36 a.m. for a report of a male attempting to commit suicide.

The person who called authorities was a third party not at the residence, Major William Davis of the Harford County Sheriff's Office said.

When deputies arrived at the home, he said, nobody answered the front door. Behind the house, two people who rented a room in the basement allowed the officers inside.

Deputies found Zaragoza's body in one of the second-floor bedrooms; she had been hit with a hammer and was dead, according to Davis.

A 16-year-old boy was behind the door of another bedroom, and after speaking with deputies, he agreed to come out, Davis said. He was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center with multiple self-inflicted wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening.

"He is in our custody," Davis said.

No charges have been filed, and the investigation is ongoing, he stated.

Authorities said they are familiar with the residence.

"We have a history of calls for service to the house," Davis said. "The house has a history of drug abuse, mental illness and also domestic issues," as well as animal complaints and medical emergencies, including a fatal overdose in 2016.

"It doesn't appear that any of the past calls for service are directly related in any shape or form to what occurred today," Davis said.

The investigation is continuing while investigators interview neighbors and witnesses.

Anyone with information may contact Detective Christopher Sergent at 410-836-5428.

PREVIOUS REPORT: A death investigation is underway in Bel Air Thursday morning, and the Harford County Sheriff's Office said that the circumstance has been deemed "suspicious."

Authorities reported that the suspicious death occurred in the 1000 block of Jeannett Way.

"There is no threat to the community," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

File photo.

Editor's note: This has been updated with new information, including the name of the victim.