Authorities in New Jersey have charged a man with murder in connection with the stabbing death of his wife, who was allegedly found dying next to him in their kitchen over the weekend, police say.
Rosana Rodriguez, 40, was found in her Perth Amboy, N.J., home by authorities responding to a report of a stabbing in the early hours of Saturday, Sept. 21, the Perth Amboy Police Department said in a statement later that day. (The victim’s first name is spelled “Rosanna” in a fundraiser and an obituary by her family, as well as news outlets My Central Jersey and the Daily Voice).
Perth Amboy police also found her husband, Wellinton Leonardo, lying on the kitchen floor next to her and transported him to the hospital for treatment, per the statement. Police did not share information about possible injuries he may have suffered that required treatment.
Rodriguez was pronounced dead after she was taken to a nearby hospital. Leonardo was charged with first-degree murder among other charges, Perth Amboy police said.
Rodriguez was a mother to four young girls, the youngest of whom is 11-months-old, according to a GoFundMe set up to assist with her funeral arrangements and children’s care. Two of the couple’s children, aged 11 and 13, were present at the time of the incident, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office tells PEOPLE.
“She was a compassionate and caring soul who touched the lives of everyone around her,” part of Rodriguez’s fundraiser reads.
According to her obituary, the Dominican Republic native worked as an apartment inspector in Perth Amboy, where she moved years ago.
Perth Amboy’s mayor Helmin J. Caba said in a statement that it was a “heartbreaking” time for the community, which has been deeply impacted by Rodriguez’s loss.
“[Our] thoughts are with her family and loved ones,” Caba said in the statement. “As a city, we will continue to support them in any way we can.”
Leonardo has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, multiple weapons-related charges as well as second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Perth Amboy police said in their statement. (The statement alleges the couple’s children were present at the time of the stabbing.)
