SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- A Springfield man is in jail after police say he killed his ex-girlfriend by beating her with a baseball bat and stabbed her more than a dozen times.

Police responded to the Devon Glen apartment complex around 7:30 p.m. Sunday on reports of a domestic violence.  At the scene they found the apartment trashed and 39-year-old Matthew Garst standing over a woman who had been beaten and stabbed 15 times.

Officers said they had to pepper-spray Garst to get him into handcuffs.  He was arraigned Monday morning and pled not guilty to charges including murder.

Ramona D. Heitz, 50, died at the hospital from her wounds.  Officers believed a baseball bat was used to beat Heitz.

Police said they are looking to see if there was a history of domestic violence between the two.

Garst is in jail on $500,000 bond.