An Ecuadorian immigrant who was living in Dover NJ is headed to prison after pleading guilty to violently stabbing his ex-wife.
The scary domestic violence incident occurred at the Dover home of the victim on January 25, 2015. According to officials, the suspect got into a verbal altercation with his ex-wife, grabbed a knife, and stabbed the victim 14 times. The attack reportedly occurred in front of the couple’s 10-year-old daughter.
After being attacked and stabbed, the victim dialed 911 and alerted the Dover Police Department. Police officers and emergency medical crews rushed to the scene and transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where doctors saved her life.
Meanwhile, the victim drove off after the stabbing incident. Authorities later tracked him down at a residence in New York.
The suspect is a 32-year-old citizen of Ecuador who has been living in Dover NJ for several years. He was charged with attempted murder and endangering the welfare of a child, but he managed to avoid the most severe penalties by reaching a plea deal with Morris County prosecutors. In exchange for the suspect pleading guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment, prosecutors agreed to drop the more serious attempted murder charges.
The suspect recently made an appearance in Morris County Superior Court, located in Morristown NJ, so that he could enter his guilty plea. He will have to return to court at a later date so that he can be formally sentenced, with Morris County prosecutors expected to recommend that he receive a sentence of 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
Since the suspect is believed to be an undocumented immigrant, his status has already been reported to federal authorities. At the conclusion of his prison sentence, he will likely be deported from the United States and sent back to Ecuador. The superior court judge confirmed the likelihood of the suspect’s eventual deportation while announcing the sentence.
Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon Dover NJ
To learn more about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Man Admits Stabbing Ex-Wife More Than a Dozen Times in Dover, Report Says.”