Two women gruesomely killed in Indianapolis by partners with violent histories, police say

Two women killed last weekend in Indianapolis. Two gruesome crime scenes on the north side. And two men, now facing murder charges, with histories of violence.

On Saturday morning, 37-year-old Sarah Serna was found dead on a couch inside a boarding house apartment. Nearby, police recovered a sledgehammer, the apparent murder weapon.

On Sunday evening, 19-year-old Liv Harrison died after police say her boyfriend stabbed her at least 28 times. A blood-soaked knife, containing a seven-and-a-half inch blade, laid near her body. 

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In a bloody weekend that saw four criminal homicides, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers say two of the victims died at the hands of their boyfriends in separate arguments that escalated into domestic violence. Both men were charged with murder Tuesday. 

IMPD is urging community members to look out for friends and family who may be experiencing pain at the hands of their significant others. 

"Offer support and help aid them in getting out of an abusive relationship," said Sgt. Jim Gillespie, an IMPD spokesman. "There are resources available." 

Sarah Serna

Around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, IMPD officers were called to a boarding house apartment in the 200 block of W. 32nd Street, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday. 

Police found a fresh hole in the ceiling, and boards ripped from the floor below.

And, on a couch, 37-year-old Sarah Serna sat unconscious, a wound to her head. She was pronounced dead at the scene. 

She died from multiple skull fractures and brain hemorrhaging, according to an autopsy cited in court documents.

In the apartment, police found a sledgehammer. Blood darkened the wooden handle and hammer head. 

Officers spoke with several witnesses in the same boarding house, according to court documents, who mentioned the name of the suspect arrested by police.

The witnesses said Joseph Cruz Gonzalez Jr, 25, regularly argued with Serna. On the night of her death, at least one witness heard Gonzalez accuse Serna of stealing something from him.

And then the witness heard loud banging coming from inside the apartment. 

After the banging sounds were over, one witness said he heard a male voice say: "You know I love you, right."

Gonzalez is still serving time connected to an attempted armed robbery in March 2016. He was given a 10-year sentence with four years suspended, resulting in a sentencing order of three years in prison, three years in community corrections and a year of probation. 

Gonzalez, though, was released from prison after about 1 year and 3 months.

In a letter to his judge, he talked about how his prison sentence had been reduced after completing a substance abuse program.

"I've learned my lesson," he wrote in July 2017. "I never want to come back to this place, I just want to be home with my family." 

He also asked the judge to place him on house arrest instead of inside community corrections.

"I'll be a civilized citizen again," he wrote. "Please give me a chance to prove myself." 

The judge said the Marion County Community Corrections would have to make that decision. 

Gonzalez was still under electronic monitoring following Serna's death. Police found him Downtown in the 200 block of N. College Avenue. 

In an interview with detectives, Gonzalez said he and Serna had been dating for three months. 

He admitted to arguing with her, but denied harming her. 

He's being held in Marion County Jail as his case proceeds. 

Liv Harrison

Around 6 p.m. on Sunday, officers were called to a house in the 1700 block of Stevenson Street on the north side. 

The front door was open, according to a probable cause affidavit. Officers were greeted with the sounds of a woman screaming: "Break down the door!"

Officers pushed open a bedroom door.

They saw 19-year-old Liv Harrison sprawled across the floor, the affidavit said, her body covered in stab wounds and cuts.

Above her stood 26-year-old Ronald Tucker Jr., knife in hand. A female relative of Tucker's stood nearby.

Officers tried to separate Tucker from the witness while commanding him to drop the knife, court documents say.

Tucker didn't. Instead, he first cut his own throat, police said. Then he tried to stab himself in the stomach. 

A officer used a stun gun, which sent Tucker to the ground. Still, he fought officers, even spitting blood into an officer's face and mouth. 

Eventually, officers arrested him, which began by taking him to Eskenazi Hospital for treatment. 

Harrison was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy found 28 injuries on her body. Her death was caused by injuries to her head and neck, according to the coroner. 

Investigators interviewed Tucker's relative, who said she shared the home with Tucker and Harrison. Harrison had been there for six months, the relative said, and she and Tucker had been arguing recently about Harrison's desire to return to California, where she's from. 

On Sunday, Harrison returned home from work with a few friends, the relative said, and talked again about wanting to return to California. That angered Tucker. 

As Harrison gathered her belongings in a bedroom, the two started arguing. There was no physical contact, the relative said, until Tucker started stabbing Harrison with a knife. 

The relative pleaded with Tucker to stop, she said, but Tucker continued stabbing. When the relative tried to escape the room, Tucker moved in front of the door frame to block her exit.

Tucker declined to speak with detectives, but one officer said Tucker said: "I killed her but I loved her." 

He's under police custody while at Eskenazi Hospital. He's facing charges of murder, criminal confinement, intimidation and battery. 

"We grieve for the family of the victim and encourage anyone in a violent relationship to reach out for help," IMPD Chief Bryan Roach said in a statement. "Abusive behavior should not be tolerated in any home, especially behind the guise of love."

That same relative experienced violence at the hands of Tucker just a year ago, according to court documents.

Around 2:45 a.m. Nov. 9, 2017, Tucker fired a gun inside the home, according to a police report, and began arguing with the relative.

She told police that she tried to take the gun away. Tucker responded by pushing her to the ground, the relative said. Then he started choking her.

Prosecutors dropped three Level 6 felony charges and one misdemeanor charge in exchange for Tucker's plea to domestic violence, a misdemeanor. Tucker was sentenced to 359 days on probation.

Then on Nov. 8 of this year, Tucker was sentenced in a case of resisting law enforcement and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. A judge suspended his driver's license and required Tucker to attend classes on drunken driving and anger management. He also was placed on probation for 541 days. 

Just 10 days later, however, Tucker was found with the knife, standing above Harrison's body. 

Lizzy Statzer, a friend who worked with Harrison at a local Starbucks, said Harrison was new to the area but quickly made friends at work. She started working there in October. 

“Because of the type of person she was, everyone just fell in love with her immediately,” Statzer said. “She was always in a good mood, trying to make others happy.”

Two of their coworkers were outside the home when Harrison died, Statzer said. 

Everyone is taking it hard, Statzer said, her voice breaking as she spoke with IndyStar.

"We all got together," Statzer said, "just to remember her and try to support one another." 

Harrison was well-loved, Statzer said, even in the short time she spent in Indianapolis. 

Resources

Help is available for people involved in an abusive relationship.

The Julian Center, available at 317-920-9320, is one resource urged by IMPD. 

And if someone is experiencing abuse but it is not an emergency, IMPD's non-emergency phone number at 317-327-3811 is available.

Sgt. Gillespie, the IMPD spokesman, wants people to call even if the abuse may seem inconsequential at first. 

"It can start small," Gillespie said. “We encourage folks to let us know.”

Contact IndyStar reporter Ryan Martin at 317-444-6294 or ryan.martin@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter: @ryanmartin