CENTER LINE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 38-year-old woman was shot and killed by her boyfriend on Tuesday night, authorities say.
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The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. at a home on Sterling Street near Van Dyke Avenue.
The victim has been identified as Erica Sanders. We're told her four children were home at the time.
Zachary Fuqua, 39, was charged on Friday in connection with the murder of Erica. He's charged with second-degree murder, three counts of felony firearm and others.
Officers arrived and saw that the woman had been shot. Center Line Public Safety Director Paul Myszenski said officers tried desperately to save her. She was pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance personnel.
"Officers arrived. They found our victim laying on the floor. Officers attempted to revive her trying to do life-saving techniques," Myszenski said.
Watch our full interview with Director Paul Myszenski below:
Investigators say that her live-in boyfriend, 39, fled the scene on foot. After a description of them went over police radio, the suspect was arrested by Center Line and Warren officers at the corner of 10 Mile Road and Wainwright Street.
Darryl Adams, Sanders' brother, said the family is in unimaginable pain.
"We're hurt. You can never be prepared for nothing like this. You know what I am saying? We feel even more hurtful for our niece and our nephews," Adams said.
Amiyah Price, Sanders' niece, is devastated.
"As my godfather, you promised me you were going to take care of my auntie, and you take her away from me, us, her kids," Price said.
Adams said they heard the shooting followed an argument.
"We don't know for sure what exactly led up to it. All we heard is that it was an argument. There wasn't any domestic violence in the past that led up to it," Adams said.
The family said there were red flags on the boyfriend's social media pages over the last month.
"Seeing some of the notifications and people had sent to me where he been battling something for maybe a month, and it led up into this, and he pretty much said something was going to happen this day," Adams said.
Adams said he wishes the boyfriend would have come to him about the turmoil he was experiencing.
"I wish I had the opportunity to talk to him before it led to this point," Adams said.
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