San Mateo woman killed by neighbor with baseball bat, police say

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Neighbors in a San Mateo housing complex are stunned after police say one woman beat another woman to death with a baseball bat.

According to police and neighbors, the women were friends. Police say 40-year-old Brenda Martinez confessed to the killing.

Neighbor Rosemarie Johnson said while she was shocked to learn of her neighbor's death, she wasn't surprised to learn who had confessed to the crime.

"I just told my landlady just a couple of weeks ago that I was nervous about her, I'm scared of her. When she's on your bad side, oh my God," she said.

Martinez turned herself into police Saturday night.

"Ms. Martinez came to the front here and called up to our dispatch center and said, 'I need to speak to an officer. I want to report a homicide, and I did it,'" Det. Sgt. Glen Teixeira said.

Police say Martinez didn't report an argument; rather she said she didn't like the conversation she was having with her friend and neighbor.

"The victim had a bat there and Ms. Martinez grabbed the bat and hit the victim with it," Teixeira said.

Johnson says the victim had no known family. "She's a sweet lady, minded her own business, just went every day, took her walks," she said.

The coroner's office has not released the victim's name yet.