A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder inside a home in Garden Grove where he allegedly beat to death a woman with whom he had been in a long-term dating relationship, authorities said.

Officers dispatched at approximately 2:47 p.m. Saturday to a home in the 13600 block of Glenhaven Drive, in reference to a female in distress, were informed that someone was now dead inside the residence, said Detective Sgt. Evan Beresford of the Garden Grove Police Department.

There, officers found a woman in the living room with “major trauma to her face and head area,” Beresford said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect’s description was broadcast to officers and a patrol officer located him in the area of Garden Grove Boulevard and Nelson Street, he said.

Manuel Martin Veerman was taken into custody, questioned and later booked on suspicion of murder at the Orange County Jail.

“Detectives learned that witnesses heard Veerman and the victim arguing inside the residence before he left,” Beresford said. “Once he was gone, one of the witnesses entered the home and found the victim unresponsive and called police. It was also discovered that Veerman and the victim have been in a long-term dating relationship.”

Garden Grove police detectives urged anyone with information regarding the homicide to call them at 714-741-5824.

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