Bergen County Mother Dies While Trying to Break Up Family Fight

A Waldwick mother died of a cardiac arrest Monday while trying to break up a family fight.

Waldwick police responded to a call just after 4 a.m. Monday and found 45-year-old Ana Angelina Rojas-Jovel lying unresponsive on a bedroom floor, according to Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli.

Further investigation revealed that the victim’s son, Juan Francisco Martinez Rojas, 28, and his girlfriend, Claudia Yanira Hernandez Soriano, 25, had come home from a party and got into a physical altercation involving punches and scratches, Molinelli said. The victim then tried to intervene and was physically assaulted by her son’s girlfriend, Hernandez Soriano, and suffered a cardiac event.

Other residents in the home, including a 7-year-old child, were transported to the Prosecutor’s Office for interviews.

Juan Francisco Martinez Rojas and Claudia Yanira Hernandez Soriano were arrested and charged with crimes relating to the death of Rojas-Jovel.

Hernandez Soriano, who authorities say concealed items of evidence that were later found during a search of the crime scene, was charged with one count each of reckless manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, domestic violence/simple assault and hindering apprehension.

Martinez Rojas was charged with one count each of endangering the welfare of a child and domestic violence/simple assault.

Bail for Hernandez Soriano was set at $250,000 with no ten percent option and bail for Martinez Rojas was set at $75,000 with no ten percent option.

Both were remanded to the Bergen County Jail in lieu of bail.

An autopsy has been performed by the Bergen County Medical Examiner’s Office, the results of which are pending toxicology results.