Suspect in stabbing had been sentenced to jail

A 28-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend in her North Philadelphia home had been sentenced four days earlier to a minimum three-month jail term for assaulting another person, according to court records.

It was unclear yesterday why Solomon Carter was free Saturday when he allegedly slashed the throat of Karimah Ballard, 32, in her apartment in the 1600 block of North 16th Street.

Police arrested Carter soon after the 3 a.m. killing and charged him with homicide. Ballard's five children were sleeping at the time, and some were hastily escorted outside by a female friend who had been visiting the victim, police Sgt. William Gallagher said.

The friend, who was not identified, was stabbed in the arm when she tried to stop Carter from harming Ballard with a kitchen knife, police said. She was treated for minor injuries at Temple University Hospital.

Gallagher said Carter had had a "series of domestic aggravated assaults against women" and had been released from jail less than a week before the killing for an assault on another woman.

"He shouldn't have been out," Gallagher said with a hint of irritation in his voice. He said Carter gave the homicide victim's address as his own and had been living there.

Court records show Carter has been arrested at least six times since 2000 and was charged with nearly three dozen crimes, including aggravated assault, attempted rape, unlawful restraint, terroristic threats, endangering another person, and theft.

In many cases, the charges were withdrawn, and in others, he received probation. But on Oct. 7, court records show, he was sentenced by a Court of Common Pleas judge to three to 23 months in prison after pleading guilty to a July 3 aggravated assault. Gallagher said the assault was against another woman.

Sgt. Ray Evers said he could not explain why Carter was free Saturday, but said that sometimes a judge will delay a sentence to give a convict time to get "his life in order."

Court officials were not available for comment.

There were three other homicides Saturday. The first was in West Philadelphia, shortly after midnight, when a 21-year-old man was shot twice in the torso while sitting on his front porch. Police identified the victim as Timothy Mitchell of the first block of North 61st Street.

About 11 a.m., a 35-year-old woman was shot once in the head in a backyard in the 3400 block of Goodman Street. Police did not release her identity, pending notification of her family.

Evers said an unknown woman had alerted medics to a body as they were driving through the neighborhood.

About 1:30 p.m., Gilberto Alvarez, 37, of the 4700 block of Ella Street, was shot once in the back in the 4700 block of A Street in Feltonville, a block from his home. Police believe an argument led to the shooting. There were no arrests in any of the shootings.