A man has been charged with murdering his wife and endangering the welfare of a child because children were allegedly present when he committed the alleged crime. In a news release, the Perth Amboy Police Department in New Jersey, described receiving a call about a stabbing at 2:57 a.m. on September 21.
When officers responded, they found a married couple lying on the kitchen floor. The woman, Rosanna Rodriguez, was allegedly stabbed. She was taken to the hospital and later pronounced deceased. Her husband, Wellinton Leonardo, has been charged with first-degree murder.
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Rodriguez was a mom of four.
Rodriguez was a mom of four daughters, per MyCentralJersey.com. She was 40 years old, according to a release posted to Facebook by the Perth Amboy Police Department. Police noted in the post that in addition to being charged with Rodriguez’s murder, Wellinton was charged with “multiple weapons-related charges” and “second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, as the incident occurred in the presence of children.”
Her daughters are 13, 11, 3, and 11 months old, according to a GoFundMe page.
A GoFundMe fundraiser titled “Remembering Rosanna: Caring for Her Kids” describes the mother as a “compassionate and caring soul who touched the lives of everyone around her” and “an aunt, sister, mother, and daughter.”
The purpose of the fundraiser is to raise money for her funeral expenses and for her children. “Rosanna leaves behind four beautiful daughters, ages 13, 11, 3, and 11 months, who now face life without their mother,” the GoFundMe page reads.
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The murder is still under investigation but was not random.
Police have noted that the murder is still under investigation, and detectives are still seeking information and surveillance footage from anyone who might have it. The police department also noted, however, that Rodriguez’s murder was “not a random act of violence” because she and Wellinton were married.
Perth Amboy's mayor shared a statement.
Perth Amboy Mayor Helmin J. Caba said that the community is dealing with “a heartbreaking time.” “We are all deeply affected by the loss of Rosanna Rodriguez, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. As a city, we will continue to support them in any way we can,” he wrote in a statement on Facebook.
“This is a reminder that such tragic events have lasting impacts on families, friends, and our entire community,” the statement continued. “We ask everyone to allow the investigation to take its course and to continue offering compassion and respect to those who are grieving.”
Rodriguez is survived by her children, parents, and siblings.
According to the mother’s obituary, she worked as a residential apartment inspector. She was born in the Dominican Republic but had lived in Perth Amboy for many years. She is survived by her four daughters, her parents, and her four siblings, according to the obituary.
