MONTEBELLO — The search continued Thursday for a “person of interest” following stabbing death of his 63-year-old girlfriend inside the Montebello home they shared, authorities said.
Emelio Martinez, 51, remained unaccounted for following the Feb. 20 discovery of the body of his roommate Carmen King Feb. 20 at the couple’s home in the 600 block of North 20th Street, Lt. Holly Francisco of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said.
An autopsy determined she died from multiple stab wounds and the death was ruled a homicide, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
Though detectives have wanted to talk to Martinez since the killing, they have been unable to find him, Francisco said.
But the lieutenant stopped short of calling Martinez a suspect in the slaying.
“We just believe he’s probably the last person who had contact with her,” she said.
Francisco added that investigators were not seeking any other persons of interest in the case.
Martinez was believed to have family members in other countries, however Francisco declined to elaborate further.
Missing from King’s home when a family members discovered her body just before 6 p.m. Feb. 20 was King’s car, which officials described as a burgundy 2000 Dodge Stratus with a California license plate number of 4JMC641.
It was not clear exactly how long King’s body may have been there before it was discovered, however she was seen alive on Feb. 17, Winter said.
King was the caretaker of an elderly resident of the home who died of natural causes earlier in the month, officials said.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

PHOTO of Emelio Martinez courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department