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Marcus Chavis Called Police After Fatally Stabbing 2 Women In Dorchester Home, Prosecutors Say

DORCHESTER (CBS) – A judge ordered 34-year-old Marcus Chavis held without bail after he allegedly murdered two women Sunday in Dorchester.

Prosecutors said Chavis was arrested on Sunday afternoon after he called police himself to say he had killed his wife.

When officers arrived at the Taft Street home they discovered two young children, ages 7 and 8. They found 42-year-old Jahaira DeAlto dead from stab wounds next to a dog that had been stabbed in the side. Then, the children pointed them to where their mother, 27-year-old Fatima Yasin was.

Yasin was rushed to Boston Medical Center with stab wounds but did not survive.

"Two people lost their lives and these two children are going to be impacted for the rest of their lives with respect to what has occurred. It is horrific," Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said after Chavis's arraignment.

Chavis allegedly said during a police interview that he woke up next to his wife and found her bleeding but he did not know how. It was then Chavis allegedly realized he was holding the knife.

According to prosecutors, Chavis told police he takes medication for PTSD and schizophrenia.

The dog that was stabbed during the incident survived.

A larger community is now mourning the loss of DeAlto a well known community activist for transgender rights and social justice issues. Friends say she was also active in supporting victims of domestic abuse.

"She had so much life and caring for people that to know that is gone so quickly, I can't find the words for it," her friend Alice Guss said.

DeAlto, who is not a blood relative to the family, had recently taken Yasin, Chavis, and the children in, according to investigators.

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