Donavan Crawford Charged With Murder After Ex-Girlfriend Gunned Down In Front Of 4-Year-Old Twins In West Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Murder charges have been filed after a 24-year-old mother was gunned down in front of her 4-year-old twins in West Philadelphia last week. Police have charged 28-year-old Donavan Crawford in the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Sykea Patton.
Officers found Patton suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso just after 3 p.m. on the 800 block of North Preston Street on Nov. 19.
She was transported to an area hospital where she died from her injuries.
Police say Patton was gunned down in front of her twin 4-year-old boys.
Crawford turned himself in to the police on Monday afternoon.
"She was a good girl. She worked, she made sure her kids had a roof over their head," said Janet Cannon, the victim's mother.
Her grieving family says the deadly shooting happened days after Crawford had proposed to Patton before a fight erupted between the two.
"How can you confess to love someone and five days later you take their life? That's not a human," said Joseph Patton, the victim's father.
Eyewitness News has also discovered a troubling trend, finding there have been 36 domestic-related homicides in Philly this year. That's double from last year.
"The women now, it's nothing to hear about a woman being shot. Once upon a time, they were off-limits," said Colwin Williams with Philadelphia Cure Violence.
Crawford is also facing multiple gun charges, recklessly endangering another person and criminal use of communication facility charges.
CBS3's Matt Petrillo and Alicia Roberts contributed to this report.
