Husband arrested after woman beaten with crow bar at bus stop in New York dies of her injuries
Prosecutors say the husband stalked and threatened his previous wife in the Dominican Republic
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A 49-year-old woman in New York who was beaten senseless with a crowbar by her jealous husband, succumbed to her injuries on Friday.
The incident took place on the morning of 14 June when Julio Aponte, 63, bashed the head of his wife Maria Kelly at a Washington Heights bus stop. He yelled “how dare you cheat on me?” and continued beating her even when she was lying unconscious on the ground.
On Monday, the police said that Kelly died Friday at New York’s Presbyterian Hospital due to the extent of her injuries, reported New York Daily News. It quoted the couple’s neighbours who said the husband was a heavy drinker. The neighbour said Kelly was a “devoted mother” to a teenage son.
Police said the witnesses called 911 while Mr Aponte fled on his motorcycle. But he soon stopped, called the police and turned himself in. His crowbar was recovered by the police.
The prosecutors charged Mr Aponte with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault while a judge held him without bail. But, according to the police, the case against him is likely to be upgraded to include charges of homicide.
The prosecutors said the accused had called someone and confessed what he did during the 13-minute-call. Mr Aponte confessed his crime to the New York Police Department as well during the questioning.
The prosecutors said that Kelly was taken to hospital on 14 June soon after the attack but she could not recover. They said she had skull fractures due to the beating and suffered multiple heart attacks.
The husband has no previous record of the arrest and there is no history of police responding to their home for any arguments but Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Levinson said Mr Aponte has a history of violence towards women.
Mr Levinson said that Mr Aponte, in a previous marriage in the Dominican Republic, allegedly stalked his wife and threatened her several times.