INDIANTOWN, Fla. – A Florida man fatally stabbed his wife on Monday after he said she was planning to leave him, along with their child, authorities said.
In a news release, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said that Andres Pedro Mateo, 39, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for stabbing his wife to death.
Monday night, deputies were called out to a house in Indiantown, located in western Martin County, about a man stabbing a woman. Once deputies arrived at the house, they found Mateo inside one of the bedrooms where he refused to open the door. Deputies eventually forced their way inside and found Mateo reportedly kneeling over his wife’s body.
Deputies say the couple’s child was also found inside the room. She was grabbed and removed from the room by deputies. The toddler was not injured.
Mateo eventually surrendered to deputies at the scene, according to WPEC.
A few people who lived in the house along with the couple told investigators that Mateo was the one who stabbed the woman multiple times, the sheriff’s office said.
The woman was identified in an affidavit obtained by the news outlet as Dominga Gaspar-Francisco. She was taken to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators said Mateo reportedly told investigators his motive behind the deadly stabbing when they questioned him, Martin County Chief Deputy John Budensiek said, according to WPEC. Mateo said he got home from work and found his wife was packing her things. She said she was leaving him and taking their toddler. That was when he grabbed a knife and stabbed her.
Martin County Chief Deputy John Budensiek said Mateo had been suspicious of his wife’s infidelity for a few weeks and had been tracking her calls, movements, and social media, the news outlet reported.
Mateo is being held without bond as he awaits trial.
