BEAUMONT, Texas — The 41-year-old Beaumont man charged in the brutal stabbing death of a woman and the attempted murder of another woman on Monday is being held on bonds totaling more than $2.3 million.
Howard Celestine, 41, of Beaumont, who is accused of stabbing a woman to death at a north Beaumont apartment and then stabbing another woman across town on Monday morning was booked into the Jefferson County Correctional Facility on Monday evening.
On Tuesday morning his bonds were set at a total of $2,302,500. He has been charged with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and terroristic threat of family or household.
Officers were sent to Stone Hearst Apartments in the 1600 block of East Lucas Dr. where a woman was found stabbed to death, according to police.
The victim has been identified as 61-year-old Lizzie Odom of Beaumont, Morrow confirms to 12News.
During the incident, Celestine stabbed and killed Odom then took her car to house of the mother of his child and attempted to kill her by ramming the vehicle into the house then trying to stab her.
At 11:45 a.m., BPD went to Landis and Eveningview about a disturbance where the caller advised that Celestine was trying to kill her and had just killed someone off East Lucas.
"The suspect had rammed a vehicle into a home and the caller was advising that this suspect had just killed someone off of East Lucas and was attempting to kill them as well. So our officers recognized that this may be connected," Morrow said.
Morrow says that Celestine already had an active warrant for making a terroristic threat against his child's mother.
"He attempted to kill her. [It's] a very volatile situation," Morrow said.
Ring doorbell footage obtained by 12News shows Odom's damaged vehicle with a flat tire, just after a neighbor claims he parked there and proceeded to walk down the street.
He ran away but was ultimately arrested by BPD in the 600 block of Eveningview hiding behind his home. Howard was taken to BPD to speak with detectives before being booked in to the Jefferson County Jail for murder, according to BPD.
"He has been transported for the charge of murder with additional charges of aggravated assault and endangering a child. There was a child at the second residence who was put in danger," Morrow told 12News.
The niece of the Celestine tells 12News that her uncle and Odom used to date but recently broke up. She says that Celestine got out of jail Friday for terroristic threat, public intoxication and resisting arrest.
Celestine's niece says her uncle was talking about harming himself and other people last week. She tells 12News it was her grandmother who discovered Odom's body after, she says, Celestine admitted to killing her.
Officer Morrow says domestic situations can turn deadly, so a quick response is dire.
"Family violence is one of the most dangerous situations for not only the victims but also officers responding, so we're grateful to be able to get him in custody and hopefully bring a little bit of justice for the victims in this case," Morrow said.
According to Beaumont Police, Celestine admitted to stabbing Odom with a kitchen knife and then admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend and attempting to kill her with the same knife.
While police were investigating the murder, two Beaumont schools were put on a "secure lockout" across town about eight miles east of the murder, according to Beaumont Independent School District spokesperson, Jackie Simien.
Both Amelia Elementary and Vincent Middle School were put on "secure lockout" while Beaumont officers were working to catch a homicide suspect in the area, Simien told 12News.
The lockout was lifted once the suspect had been caught and the two campuses were deemed safe, she said.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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