Cops: Man stabs to death, nearly decapitates girlfriend during fight

A 23-year-old Lower East Side woman was stabbed to death and nearly decapitated by her boyfriend as she tried to break up with him during a loud fight, according to police and published reports.

Neighbors in the apartment building at 63 Clinton St. said they heard Sarah Coit scream for help for about 20 minutes before her cries fell silent.

Police responding to 911 calls found Coit, formerly of Greenwich, Conn., lying in a pool of blood around 2:30 a.m. Coit's live-in boyfriend, Raul Barrera, 33, surrendered almost immediately and was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, police said.

"She was yelling 'No, no, stop, stop, don’t hurt me!' " Brianna Andalore, 20, who was staying in the building with a friend, told the Post.

Police told Newsday that Barrera previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault against another person.

It was unclear whether Barrera had an attorney. A message left at a Connecticut phone number listed for Coit's family wasn't returned.

A neighbor who identified himself only as Sheriff said the couple seemed normal, though the pair had reportedly fought loudly in the past.

"When I saw them, it wasn’t anything weird. They were like any other New York City couple that lives in your building," he said.

(with Dina Davis and Emily Ngo)