Hayward cops say woman was killed with screwdriver as co-workers watched

Officers called to the scene at about 8:15 a.m. found Rose Marie Goulart, 46, suffering from a severe stab wound to the abdomen outside Bay Valley Medical Group, 27212 Calaroga Ave., near St. Rose Hospital.

Goulart was rushed to the trauma center at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, where she was pronounced dead, Hayward police Capt. Darryl McAllister said.

Police identified the suspected assailant as Luis Albert Hernandez, 46, who is reportedly the father of two children with Goulart. He was arrested on suspicion of murder, McAllister said.

"Employees who had gathered (at the crime scene) pointed out a man standing nearby as the person who stabbed the victim," McAllister said. Hernandez was arrested without incident.

Hernandez and Goulart had been in a common-law relationship for the past 20 years but had been "feuding over relationship issues," McAllister said. Both lived in Castro Valley, but not together. Their children, a 15-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son, have been contacted and are safe, McAllister said.

"The best we can tell from what we're getting, she arrived to work today and was confronted in the parking lot," McAllister said. "There was some sort of argument or exchange, at which time the witnesses saw him stab her with a screwdriver."

Investigators are interviewing family and friends to find out what issues might have prompted the slaying, McAllister said. Police had not yet determined if Hernandez has a record of domestic abuse, he said.

Many of the witnesses knew Goulart, who worked as an accounts administrator at Bay Valley for 20 years, McAllister said. Some frantically called police to report a domestic violence situation just before the stabbing.

"In this case, people close to the victim actually seeing the event makes for particularly difficult times," he said. "We are assisting with Bay Valley Medical folks in helping them provide counseling for witnesses and co-workers."

A spokeswoman for Bay Valley declined to comment, citing concerns both for the family's privacy and the police investigation.

The killing is Hayward's third homicide of the year. Hernandez is scheduled to be arraigned Monday