NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Police Department says a person called 911 after finding 26-year-old Jwanta Scarbor in an apartment in the Young Terrace neighborhood Monday, seriously hurt.
Detectives say Scarbor died at the scene on East Olney Road, but would not specify how the young woman died. They're investigating the case as a homicide.
A few people in the neighborhood who knew Scarbor told 13News Now she had a bright personality. They were upset to hear about another young person losing her life too soon.
Clay Marquez, an anti-violence advocate in Norfolk, works to help people with his initiative "Guns Down."
Marquez said he grew up near the Young Terrace neighborhood and still knows people in the area. He came back Tuesday to talk to families in the area about what happened with Scarbor.
"It's senseless murders like that we have to try to combat," Marquez said. "That's why myself in 'Guns Down' and many other brothers out on these streets working it, trying to help prevent these senseless murders."
Marquez said he got a call from friends and family in the neighborhood when they heard about the murder. He said people in the area knew her well, and are devastated to hear she died, especially with little public information about what happened in that apartment Monday.
"People talking about her say she was a beautiful young woman," Marquez said.
He said he wants to see more resources for children, particularly in this area. He said the area doesn't just need good policing -- the children in Norfolk need safe, productive ways to spend time outside of school.
"For one, there's a lack of resources in the neighborhood. On top of that, they took the basketball courts out of here, so the kids don't have anything to do," he said. "The best we got to do is we got to keep hosting events and keep talking to them and keep giving them positive things to put on their mind."
Marquez said this tragedy created an opportunity for the police and community to move forward with more initiatives to stop local violence.
If you know or heard anything about the incident, you are asked Norfolk Police or reach out to the area's Crime-Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. You can remain anonymous while giving a tip.
13News Now reached out to the Norfolk Police Department for more information on this case, but by Tuesday night, had not yet heard back.