Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!
Woman Accused Of Fatally Stabbing Partner With Nail Clippers
Katheleen Ayala is facing a murder charge after authorities say she got into a fatal altercation with Axel Torres, stabbing him multiple times.
A New Jersey woman has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing her husband with a set of fingernail clippers, inflicting injuries that eventually claimed his life.
Katheleen Ayala, a 30-year-old Millville resident, was arrested following a Jan. 12 altercation with a man identified as 35-year-old Axel Torres, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office. Officers with the Millville Police Department were called to a private residence at around 1 a.m. to investigate reports of a stabbing; upon their arrival, they found that Torres was unresponsive, and concluded that he had been stabbed multiple times with a nail clipper, including once in the left leg, the office stated. EMTs who responded to the scene transported Torres to Cooper Hospital, where he remained in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries on Jan. 13.
Ayala and Torres lived together at the residence where the altercation took place, according to prosecutors; the two reportedly first got into an argument inside of the home, and when Torres left the residence, Ayala allegedly followed, chasing after him and stabbing him multiple times. After Torres’ death, Ayala, who initially faced charges relating to assault and possession of weapons, was then charged with murder, prosecutors said.
A criminal complaint obtained by Oxygen.com alleges that Ayala possessed the set of fingernail clippers “with the purpose to use it unlawfully against the victim,” and used them to “[stab] the victim multiple times.”
Many nail clippers have fold-out attachments such as nail files, which can be sharp.
However, during a court appearance this week, Ayala’s lawyers painted a different picture of what happened that night, according to NJ.com; Ayala’s attorney claimed that she was trying to defend herself against Torres, who defense lawyers claimed head butted her hard enough during the altercation to leave her with a concussion and a black eye. They also argued that Ayala did not intend to kill him and pointed to, as evidence, the fact that Ayala was performing life-saving measures on Torres when officers arrived.
Nonetheless, a judge decided Thursday that Ayala will remain in custody pending her trial, according to the outlet. She is reportedly scheduled to next appear in court on March 5.
