VALLEJO, Calif. — A woman reported missing in Vallejo was found dead in an attic Tuesday, and a man has been arrested on suspicion of killing her, police said.
Jakeem Green says his family has been looking for his cousin, Renia Lewis, since she was reported missing to the Vallejo Police Department.
“The last location was here. And her last ping right here. But, we still looked in the area. We looked in garbage cans. We looked everywhere,” says Green, standing in front of a house on 14th Street in Vallejo.
Then on Tuesday, came the news that her body was found inside the house.
“The reaction is just distraught. Confused. Lost. Hopeless,” says Green.
Neighbors say the house has been boarded up for a long time. Police say the suspect lived in a detached unit in the backyard. During the investigation, police found a concealed entry to the attic.
“With a search warrant, we were able to do a thorough search, and we located Ms. Lewis inside the residence,” says Sgt. Rashad Hollis with the Vallejo Police Department.
The Vallejo Police Department confirmed that the suspect also confessed to killing Lewis.
“This was a heartbreaking, senseless act of violence that has no place in our community,” Police Chief Jason Ta said in a statement. “I am proud of our officers and detectives for making an arrest and solving this case. Above all, our thoughts are with the decedent’s family during this incredibly difficult time.”
The family believes Lewis was brought to the house against her will.
“If she was to see (the condition of) the house, she is not coming in willingly. She is not going to do that. So, I feel like she was either drugged or under some type of influence,” plains Green.
Green says Lewis was in Vallejo on Sunday to visit family. They still don’t know how she ended up at that boarded up house, and they say she did not know the suspect.
“I feel like she got her consciousness back, and she was fighting for her life. Windows were busted. She was trying to get away and escape,” explains Green, who walked around the house.
All day, nearby residents and others came by to pay their respects.
“A lot of my friends and family that posted (about) the missing young lady, so the whole community was on alert about the situation,” says Brooke Ashley Hayes, Vallejo resident, who came by to light a candle in front of the house in honor of Lewis.
Hayes says she didn’t know Lewis but had friends who did. She says the circumstances surrounding how Lewis was killed is also raising concerns.
“It is really sad. And really scary for a lot of these young ladies out here on the streets of Vallejo. Vallejo is small community, so it really shook the whole community up,” says Hayes.
“Sad. I mean it is sad all the way around. I am more concerned, the main question, like anybody else is – why? What was the purpose?” says Colleen Isom-Reyes, another longtime resident who also came by with a candle and flowers.
“I wouldn’t want to find my daughter like that. We all have children in this world, whether they are grown or little. As a parent, you wouldn’t want to find your children like that. I feel more for the family, and the mother. Her loss,” says Isom-Reyes.
The suspect is being held without bail at Solano County Jail. Vallejo police say he is expected to make his first court appearance on Thursday to face murder charges.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Detective Zach Horton at (707) 648-5425 or Zach.Horton@cityofvallejo.net or Detective William Carpenter at (707) 651-7146 or William.Carpenter@cityofvallejo.net. To remain anonymous, please call the anonymous tip line at 1-800-488-9383.
