Man charged in woman’s death after body found in Fifth Ward apartment

HOUSTON – A man has been arrested and charged after a woman was found dead in an apartment in the Fifth Ward .

The suspect, Gustavo Lerma, 30, was charged with murder for the death of Jakayla Alfred, 31.

Authorities say Alfred was found inside the apartment, located in the 2700 block of Lorraine Street.

According to police, neighbors said they hadn’t seen Alfred in days and noticed a bad smell.

Woman found dead in Fifth Ward apartment, police investigating as ‘suspicious’

Police responded on a check welfare call and found Alfred dead inside the apartment. A dog was also found in the apartment.

Animal control was requested to take possession of the dog.

An autopsy determined Alfred had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators identified her partner, Lerma, as the suspect in th