The husband accused in the deadly stabbing of his NYPD officer wife in her Bronx apartment was indicted on murder and other charges, the district attorney announced.
Argenis Baez was arraigned on second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and weapon possession charges in Bronx Supreme Court, said District Attorney Darcel Clark. Officials said that the 34-year-old Baez surrendered at a neighboring precinct later the same day he allegedly killed Arianna Reyes-Gomez, an off-duty transit bureau officer who was the mother of his child, on June 13.
According to the investigation, Baez went to his estranged wife's apartment in the Concourse section just after 2 a.m. to confront her. After a struggle, he made his way into the home, where he allegedly used a knife to stab Reyes-Gomez eight times in the chest, leg, back and torso.
He fled the scene shortly after.
The off-duty officer was found around 3 a.m., after police responded to a 911 call of a stabbing. The two senior police officials say the 31-year-old Reyes-Gomez managed to call a relative, who was the one to make the 911 call to the Grand Concourse apartment.
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But it was too late, as Reyes-Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
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Neighbors who live on the first floor of the building said Reyes-Gomez had only lived there about a year, and never heard anything come from the apartment before. Neighbors said that they had seen Reyes-Gomez entering and exiting the building a few times in the past, and she had always been friendly.
Officials said Baez has no previous criminal history and motive was not yet clear.
The child the former couple share was not home at the time of the incident, as he was staying out of state with relatives.
"The defendant allegedly went to the home of his estranged wife, who served in the NYPD Transit Bureau, confronted her, then stabbed her multiple times, causing her death," said Clark. "She leaves behind a young child. I send my condolences to her family and extended NYPD family who lost a dedicated public servant to domestic violence.”
Baez is next scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 12.
