NJ Man Hacked Wife To Death With Hatchet, Court Records Show

SOMERVILLE, NJ — A husband charged with murder of his wife purchased a hatchet weeks before the deadly slashing in Somerville, court documents obtained by Patch reveal.

Ignacio Espinal, 55, of Somerville, was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree hindering.

The charges are in connection with the domestic violence incident and death of Espinal's wife, Alyne, 46, who was found with multiple lacerations to her chest, neck, and thigh on Aug. 6.

The Affidavit of Probable Cause obtained by Patch details the events leading up to and after the deadly domestic violence in Somerville.

On Aug. 6 just before 7:30 p.m., a 911 call was made reporting concerns for the welfare of a female resident of Brookside Avenue in Somerville.

Police went to 60 Brookside Avenue, Apartment 3B, where they found Alyne Espinal dead inside her home with multiple large laceration wounds to her body, according to court documents.

A camping-style hatchet with suspected blood on it was also found in the home, according to documents.

Surveillance video reportedly shows Ignacio Espinal purchasing a hatchet at a local hardware store four weeks prior.

Video near the home also reportedly shows Ignacio driving Alyne's vehicle the day she was found dead.

More video recovered in Paterson shows Espinal getting out of Alyne's vehicle after parking it on the street.

"The vehicle was recovered and processed, and suspected blood was located inside the vehicle," court documents said.

During the investigation, authorities also reported that Ignacio tried to get rid of or conceal evidence of the murder by mopping up Alyne's blood on the floor.

A postmortem examination performed by the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Alyne Espinal’s death a homicide.

Ignacio Espinal was arrested in West New York on Tuesday without incident. He was taken to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office for processing.

Espinal was processed on these charges and taken to the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing on this matter.

Domestic Violence

Safe+Sound Somerset, which helps survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, shared a statement following Alyne's death.

"Like so many in the Somerville community, Safe+Sound Somerset is heartbroken by the recent homicide that claimed the life of Alyne Espinal. Following the arrest and murder charge announced this week, our thoughts are with her loved ones, friends, neighbors, and all those whose lives have been touched by this devastating act of domestic violence by her husband," wrote the nonprofit.

One in four women (24.3 percent) and one in seven men (13.8 percent) aged 18 and older in the US have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

"Domestic violence affects individuals, families, and communities every day. We know there are others in our community who are living with abuse right now and wondering if anyone would listen, believe them, or help. Events like this can feel personal for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and other forms of abuse. It may bring up painful memories, grief, fear, anger, or concern for someone you love," stated Safe+Sound.

The nonprofit organization provides safety and security services and stability to 7,000 survivors a year.

Safe+Sound offers help 24/7 with their call and text helpline at 866-685-1122. For more information, visit safe-sound.org.

• Previous Reporting: NJ Man Slashes Wife To Death, Prosecutors Say

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