By: Tracie Carter
A Somerville man has been arrested and charged with murder following an investigation into the death of his wife, who was found with multiple wounds inside a Brookside Avenue residence last week.
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald announced that 55-year-old Ignacio Espinal of Somerville was taken into custody Tuesday, August 11, in West New York without incident.
The arrest came five days after Somerville Police were called to a Brookside Avenue home at approximately 7:26 p.m. Thursday, August 6, after receiving a 911 call requesting a welfare check on a female resident.
When officers arrived, they found 46-year-old Alyne Espinal suffering from multiple lacerations to her chest, neck and thigh.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives from the Somerville Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes and Crime Scene Investigations units responded and launched an investigation.
Medical investigators from the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office also assisted. Following a postmortem examination, authorities officially ruled Alyne Espinal’s death a homicide.
According to Prosecutor McDonald, investigators subsequently identified Ignacio Espinal, the victim’s husband, as a suspect in the case.
Authorities located Espinal in West New York on Tuesday and arrested him without incident. He was transported to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office for processing.
Espinal has been charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and hindering.
He was later transported to the Somerset County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.
Authorities have not released additional details regarding what allegedly led to the deadly encounter.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100.