A single mother of four kids, Andrea Perry, 41, had also adopted her sister's two kids and was the sole caretaker of her elderly mother. Her family says Perry was the glue that held the family together.
Perry's children, who range in ages 1 to 14, walked into their mother's bedroom and found her stabbed to death.
Detectives named Perry's boyfriend, Kenneth Roger Griffin, 51, as a person of interest in their investigation.
They said Griffin showed up to the Palmdale sheriff's station to speak with detectives about 9 p.m. He was subsequently arrested and booked for murder.
Lovell Perry, the victim's brother, said his sister had been trying to break up with Griffin and that he was the last one to be seen with her before the murder.
He also said the only likely witness is his sister's youngest child. The 1-year-old boy was found in bed next to her dead body. The toddler was left unharmed by his mother's attacker but is now asking for his mother.
"The younger ones, they know but they don't know," he said. "The baby is still asking for mommy, and we're just asking for your prayers. Keep us in your prayers."
Those who knew Perry said she was active in the community and was well-liked in the Palmdale neighborhood she had moved into just one year ago.
"She was a church going lady," said J.R., Perry's friend. "She went to church every Sunday. She just was a kind-hearted person and it just didn't have to be like this."
As the sheriff's department continues the investigation, they asked anyone with information regarding this case to come forward and contact the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department at (323) 890-5500.
