Man at Center of Amber Alert/Murder Case Previously Assaulted Wife in Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — The man accused of murdering his estranged wife and setting off a multi-state Amber Alert was previously convicted of assaulting his former wife in Stamford.

Oscar Hernandez assaulted his former wife in front of seven children in 2008 and was convicted in 2011, according to the Stamford Advocate. He was deported in 2013 to his native El Salvador. It's unclear how or when he returned to the U.S.

Hernandez is accused of fatally stabbing Nida Gonzalez, 26, of Bridgeport to death on Feb. 24. He also critically injured another woman, police said. He then took his 6-year-old daughter in a vehicle and was later captured after a chase in Pennsylvania.

Gonzalez was reportedly afraid of being deported to her native Guatemala and kept quiet even as her relationship with Hernandez turned abusive, according to the Connecticut Post.

Related: Amber Alert Ended, Suspect Being Charged with Murder

Immigration and Customs Enforcement wasn't aware that Hernandez was back in Connecticut, according to WTNH.

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