A woman, who neighbors say was a mother of young children, was stabbed to death inside her Harlem apartment building early Monday morning, police say.

Investigators believe she knew her attacker. Police sources say they have a person custody, who is being questioned, but so far no charges have been filed.

Latest on the investigation

Members of the NYPD Crime Scene Unit were in and out of a apartment at 409 W. 129th St., where just after 4 a.m. they received a call about a 47-year-old woman in a hallway with multiple stab wounds.

Police sources say she had just stepped off the elevator when she was attacked from behind.

One resident described a gruesome scene.

"Blood like all over the place, like she was running and blood just dripping and then she stopped right in the middle, which is probably where she collapsed," the resident said.

Police sources said they believe the victim was targeted. 

"She was was just nice, a nice person"

Neighbors placed candles in front on the building in the victim's memory, and said she was a mother of four and always kind.

"She was friendly. She'll say, 'Good morning.' I could help her with her bags and she would accept my help, things like that. She was was just nice, a nice person," one neighbor said.

"It's sad, very sad. Holidays are coming up [and she] won't be able to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's with her family," a neighbor said.

Street Corner Resources, an anti-violence group, spent the day offering support to the neighborhood.

"It makes me feel a certain way as a woman, so imagine people who saw her, saw her moving around, they know her, and how do they feel?" CEO Dr. Iesha Sekou said.

Neighbors are now figuring out how to best support the woman's family, as police continue to investigate.

"When things that has happened, it just, like, affects everybody. [It hits] so close to home," another neighbor said.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.