A Manassas man fatally stabbed his girlfriend and then repeatedly cut himself Thursday in an murder-attempted suicide plot, City police said.

Officers were called to the home on Aspen Place in the Georgetown South neighborhood about 12:30 p.m. Thursday by the daughter of the surviving suspect, 53-year-old Mikuel Gaskins.

The daughter reportedly told police she became concerned after he failed to return any of her calls. The daughter visited the home, reportedly entering through a front window, ABC 7/NewsChannel 8 was told.

A neighbor accompanied the daughter into the home and found the crime scene.

"There was blood all over the house," recalled the neighbor, who didn't want to be identified. "She was covered with blood as well. She had lacerations to the neck; so did the gentleman, as well."

The female victim was identified as 44-year-old Chanite Brooks, Gaskins girlfriend. Friends remember her as a good mother to her two young children.

"I just knew her from way back in the day. She was a good mother to her children," said Mike Thorne. "It's hard; it's a tragedy.

"Every time I see them, they were always nice," said the neighbor who had accompanied Gaskins' daughter into the home . "There were never fights or anything."

Family members, however, told police the couple was having a lot of problems and was possibly in the process of breaking up.

"We feel that it was an isolated incident, and it was contained to these two people," said Sgt. Tim Newman of Manassas police. "Exactly what took place, we're not sure at this time."

Gaskins was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he was undergoing surgery Thursday evening.

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