Story By: Juan Fenandez Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
This husband has been accused of killing his wife and injuring her daughter before turning the knife on himself after the COVID-19 lockdown forced them to live together after they split up.
The shocking incident occurred in the home of psychologist Patricia Frete, 47, located in the Villa Verde neighbourhood in the city of El Pilar in the Buenos Aires province in Argentina on Tuesday afternoon.
Neighbours contacted authorities after they heard screams coming from the household and cops then found Frete dead inside with several stab wounds.
Local media report she was allegedly killed by her husband Miguel Massolo, 48, after she tried to kick him out but he refused to leave.
Frete’s 20-year-old daughter was also hurt while trying to stop the murder and Massolo allegedly used the same knife to cut his writs and neck but survived.
Massolo and daughter were both transported to the Sanguinetti de Pilar Hospital.
Massolo is reportedly in critical condition while the 20-year-old is out of danger after suffering cuts to her arms. It is unclear if she is Massolo’s daughter.
The couple separated one month ago but were forced to continue living together due to the COVID-19 lockdown, with Massolo staying in the garage as he had nowhere else to go, according to local reports.
The Argentine government announced the lockdown in a statement reading “With the aim of protecting public health, everyone who lives in the country or finds themselves in it temporarily must remain in their habitual homes or where they were staying at 00:00 on 20th March 2020.”
Local media report Frete had a restraining order against Massolo in 2018 but the couple eventually got back together.
A neighbour told Argentine television channel ‘Cronica TV’ Frete “was a very good person and unfortunately she found herself a miscreant”.
The neighbour added: “I don’t know if we are going to die from the coronavirus or these murderers running loose during this quarantine.”
Argentina has seen crime rate go down in almost all categories with the exception of femicide which remains at an average of one every 28 hours according to online newspaper ‘SM Noticias’.
It is unclear if Massolo has been detained in hospital but reports state he is under investigation.
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