Detroit woman found beaten to death, police searching for boyfriend

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A Detroit woman was found beaten to death and the search is on for the prime suspect her boyfriend.

Latisha Bargaineer is described as bubbly, outgoing and sweet. A woman friends say has never been into trouble.

Detroit police say Sunday night at about 11 p.m. Bargaineer had been with her 39-year-old boyfriend. Friends say they had been dating on-and-off for 11 years.

Her boyfriend's sister inside a home on Colfax told police he walked into the house acting "out of it."

That's when she says he grabbed the keys of his cousin's black Yukon and took off. His sister walked outside and discovered his red Ford Flex in the driveway and lying on the backseat floor was Bargaineer, dead. Detroit police are still looking for him Tuesday.

Friends of Bargaineer are floored to hear the horrific news. Her family, too distressed to speak, says they tried to warn her.

They described times she says he hit her, choked her and threatened her. But friends say she loved him despite his jealousy and controlling behavior. They added Tuesday they believe she may have been planning to leave him.

Court records show Bargaineer's boyfriend had been charged with homicide in 1996 but a jury found him not guilty.

He's also been charged with receiving and concealing stolen property but that was dismissed. And in 2009 he faced weapons charges along with assault and domestic violence - those charges dismissed again, as well charges of assaulting a police officer.

Her boyfriend was jailed for drugs, possession of a dangerous weapon and reviving and concealing stolen property a second time.

Now as police ask anyone with information to come forward Bargaineer's family is praying that man is found before someone else is hurt or worse.