A Central New Jersey man has been arrested for the fatal stabbing of his wife in the presence of kids early Saturday morning, authorities said.
Police responded to a 911 call at a residence on Bertrand Ave. in Perth Amboy just before 3 a.m., according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.
When officers arrived at the home, they found a man and a woman lying on the kitchen floor.
The man, later identified as Wellinton Leonardo, was located with undisclosed injuries and taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment, police said.
The woman, identified as 40-year-old Rosana Rodriguez, was rushed to Raritan Bay Medical Center with apparent stab wounds and was later pronounced dead.
Investigators determined the two were married, adding the incident had not been a random act of violence.
Leonardo was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder, two weapons-related offenses, and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child because the alleged stabbing took place in the presence of children, NJ.com reported.
Authorities did not say how the children were related to the couple.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call Det. Danny Hernandez of the Perth Amboy Police Department at (732) 324-3805 or Det. Michelle Coppola of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3477.
Perth Amboy, a city of about 55,000 in northeastern Middlesex County, is located approximately 30 miles south of Lower Manhattan.
