Felix Sandoval, 7

Felix Sandoval, a 7-year-old Latino, was stabbed and died Friday, Jan. 8, in the 500 block of East Pleasant Street in Long Beach, authorities said.

Long Beach police officers were called to an apartment complex where he lived about 9 p.m. Friday after reports of a woman screaming, according to a statement released by the department.

In the stairwell for the complex, officers found a 27-year-old woman with stab wounds. She pointed to a man standing in the doorway of an apartment and told officers he was killing her children, police said. After the suspect closed and locked the door, officers forced their way into the residence, where they found the boy, who had been stabbed numerous times.

He was taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital, where he died an hour later, Lt. Cheryl MacWillie of the L.A. County coroner’s office said.

His mother was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Her name was not released.

The suspect, identified as Peniamina Tomasi, 30, was booked on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and is being held at the Long Beach City Jail without bail, police said. Jail records show he is being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

Tomasi lived in the apartment with the woman, with whom he had two children. Each also had three children from previous relationships, and all eight were inside the residence at the time of the incident, police said.

The Department of Children and Family Services took custody of the seven unharmed children, whose ages range from 4 months to 10 years.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Long Beach police detectives at (562) 570-7244.

-- Corina Knoll