While Paloma Fernandez, the call centre employee, succumbed to injuries on way to the hospital, Aquinas has been admitted to the Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali. Assistant Superintendent of Police (Thane Rural) Dr Shashikant Mahavarkar said: “From what we have gathered, Paloma’s debit card had been missing since the past few days and she had accused Aquinas, who was unemployed, of stealing it, leading to a fight between them.”

According to Mira Road police, who have registered a case of murder against Aquinas, Paloma was being escorted by a security guard to her ground floor flat in Rashmi Hetal Co-op Housing Society, when Aquinas, who stays in the same complex, came out of his hiding place on the parapet above the ground floor entrance and assaulted Paloma with a small kitchen knife. Shailendra Singh, the security guard, was also injured when Aquinas bit him on his index finger after he tried to intervene.

When contacted, Singh said: “When Paloma came after her shift around 3:30 am, she requested me and Mohan Yadav, my colleague, to escort her to her apartment as her building is a bit far from the society entrance. Yadav and I went with her and when we reached her door and she was opening it, Aquinas, who had been hiding somewhere behind us, rushed in and pushed Paloma inside the house and also barged in. When we tried to intervene, he tried to close the door. He also bit me on my index finger when we were trying to push the door open.”

According to Singh, even as they were struggling with the door, Aquinas stabbed Paloma in her chest and a bleeding Paloma rushed out of the house followed by Aquinas.

Mohan Yadav, the second guard, said: “I tried to grapple with Aquinas while Singh was trying to help Paloma. As he is quite well-built, he managed to break my grip and stabbed himself in the stomach. The cries of Paloma had alerted everyone, including Aquinas’ father and other residents of the society, who rushed down and took Paloma to the hospital.”

Another resident of the society said on conditions of anonymity: “Paloma’s family is in Goa and the flat is apparently owned by her aunt. Both Aquinas and Paloma had been seeing each other for the past few months. Aquinas has been a troublemaker since his teenage days. His father is a retired man and Aquinas has two brothers — one in the US and the other engaged in some transport business.”