Rulings issued in deaths of two women found dead on same Dayton street

UPDATE @ 2:08 p.m. (Jan. 25):

The final autopsies for two women found dead 10 days apart last September are completed, according to the coroner's office.
Krystal Garcia, of Dayton, died from a gunshot wound to the head and her death has been ruled a homicide, the coroner's office said.

Deanna Prendergast, of Kettering, died from undetermined causes, according to the coroner’s office.

INITIAL REPORT:

The deaths of two women in Dayton found on the same street this month do not appear to be related, according to police.

The decomposed body of Deanna Prendergast, 39, of Kettering was found Sept. 15 at 17 E. Hudson Ave. The decomposed body of Krystal Garcia, 30, of Dayton, was found Sept. 25 at 22 W. Hudson Ave. The locations are about a tenth of a mile apart across North Main Street.

“At this time we have no evidence that these cases are related,” said Dayton police Major Brian Johns. “With that being said, we continue to actively and aggressively investigate the deaths. We are asking if any citizens have information regarding these deaths to notify Crime Stoppers at 222-STOP.”

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Preliminary autopsy findings are pending for both. Police haven’t said if the deaths appear to be homicides, but homicide detectives are investigating due to suspicious circumstances.

A Dayton police report indicated a cell phone, two steak knives, a pair of shoes and other clothing were found near Prendergast’s body.

The report describes the location as a vacant house and that Prendergast’s body was underneath a door near the detached garage.

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A Sept. 9 police report shows Prendergast was on scene at 20 E. Norman Ave. — a block from Hudson — when she said another woman asked to use her phone to call 911 because a man had overdosed.

A Montgomery County Children Services spokesman said that agency had a case against Prendergast. An online obituary for Prendergast said she died Sept. 11.

Garcia had been indicted in June 2017 on two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle. A warrant for her arrest was issued in July when she didn’t show up in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

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Garcia also had several interactions with Dayton police in 2015, according to police reports and memoranda.

In Feb. 2015, Garcia reported some medication, a camera and cash were taken from her vehicle. In March 2015, Garcia reported her wedding ring was missing and she told police that a friend may have taken it.

Later in March 2015, Garcia and a relative were arrested for possible domestic violence charges while three young children were in her Valley Street residence. Dayton police made a referral to children services, according to the report.

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In June 2015, Garcia was given a summons after telling police that a person they were looking for wasn’t in the house, but the person was found upstairs.

In July 2015, Garcia was arrested when crack cocaine pipes were found in her vehicle when it was stopped with two passengers near DeSoto Bass Courts.

On Aug. 16, 2015 was arrested for having suspected crack and prescription narcotics with her when she was stopped for her vehicle’s broken headlight.

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On Aug. 21, 2015, the father of Garcia’s stepchildren told police that Garcia was dealing with substance abuse issues. A Dayton police memo was generated after officers were dispatched to Dayton Children’s Hospital after accusations of possible child abuse.

In Dec. 2015, Garcia reported that an old friend threatened her when she refused to do cocaine with him. Garcia told police she had gone through rehab in September 2015 and no longer did drugs.

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