Queens Man Charged With Killing Wife, Son

Bodies were found a closet

Sunday, Nov 22, 2009 | Updated 2:30 PM EDT

Queens Man Charged With Killing Wife, Son

A Hartford police officer under investigation for the beating of a suspect took his first steps toward retiring.

A Queens man has been charged with murder in the deaths of his wife and teenage son, who were found in a closet wrapped in plastic with their throats slashed.

Police said Sunday that 48-year-old Otto Herrarte has been charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon in the deaths of his 55-year-old wife and 14-year-old son.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said that police were called to the apartment in the Corona section on Saturday after a man told a co-worker that "he had cut the throat of his wife.''

The co-worker called 911.

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