Career criminal's final act of disrespect after he murdered woman in her hotel room while out on bond
A sick career criminal who was out on bond when he stabbed a woman to death in her DC hotel room has been sentenced to 40 years in jail.
George Sydnor, 46, who had 25 prior arrests, pleaded guilty in October to murdering Christy Bautista, 31, with a kitchen knife on the evening of March 31, 2023.
Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz handed him a lengthy jail term as he was sentenced on Friday, with the Department of Justice slamming him as a 'monster'.
Prosecutors said Sydnor stabbed Bautista 30 times, and police found him trying to smoke a cigarette beside her dead body when they entered the hotel room.
Bautista's heartbroken family said she had been visiting Washington DC from Harrisonburg, Virginia, to attend a concert when her life was cruelly taken away.
Sydnor was on bail for an attempted robbery case, according to the Department of Justice, and the Daily Mail previously unearthed his lengthy rap sheet.
The attack was seemingly random, as he was seen on surveillance footage riding his bike to the Ivy City Hotel before scoping out rooms on the ground floor.
Bautista had checked into the northeast DC hotel just an hour before and had parked her car directly in front of room 116, where she was staying.
Christy Bautista, who graduated from Virginia's James Madison University, was killed at the age of 31 in a random attack in her DC hotel room by career criminal George Sydnor, 46
The attack was seemingly random, as he was seen on surveillance footage riding his bike to the Ivy City Hotel (pictured) in DC, before scoping out rooms on the ground floor
Sydnor parked his bike beside her car, then stood outside the hotel room as though listening before suddenly bursting in and slamming the door behind him.
He launched a bloody attack on the innocent woman as witnesses said they heard her screaming for help. Loud thuds could be heard on the surveillance footage.
Sydnor stabbed Bautista 30 times at around 7pm, prosecutors said during his trial.
Police arrived within 10 minutes after people reported hearing screaming from room 116, and Sydnor told officers everything was fine.
However, police noticed blood on his hands, and they retrieved the master key and went into the room, according to court documents seen by the Daily Mail.
Officers entered the room to find Bautista on the floor with multiple stab wounds, while Sydnor was trying to smoke a cigarette.
The woman was declared dead on the scene 11 minutes later, and cops found a large kitchen knife with a broken blade on the bed next to his jacket.
A closer inspection of Sydnor also found that he had blood on his pants, shoes, and vest.
He was taken to the hospital to be treated for lacerations before being discharged and taken to the police station for questioning.
Sydnor had 25 prior arrests and was originally denied bond over the robbery due to his criminal history. However, another judge released him two weeks later.
Bautista's heartbroken family said she had been visiting Washington DC from Harrisonburg, Virginia, to attend a concert when her life was cruelly taken away. She is pictured on the left
Bautista's family has said they believe her killer was a complete stranger, and remembered her as a 'shining light' in a heartbreaking GoFundMe page which has raised more than $42,000
When he attacked Bautista, he was wanted in DC and Prince George's County for failing to appear in court.
Bautista's family has said they believe he was a complete stranger.
They said in a statement: 'Our family is devastated by the loss of our beloved Christy.
'She brought joy to everybody who knew her and was a shining light in all of our lives. Please respect our privacy as we mourn her at this time.'
Their GoFundMe page quickly exceeded its $10,000 goal and has collected more than $42,000 to date.
Police did not release a mugshot of Sydnor at the time. The Daily Mail has contacted the Department of Justice for an image.
'The victim, Christy Bautista, was visiting D.C. to attend a concert—an experience that should have been safe and routine,' US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in a statement following Sydnor's sentencing.
'Instead, this monster brazenly rode his bike up to her motel, entered her room, and launched a deadly stabbing attack against an innocent woman.
'Today's 40-year prison sentence delivers justice and sends a clear message: those who commit acts of extreme violence will be held fully accountable.'
