A Queens grand jury indicted a Jackson Heights man on murder charges for allegedly beating his wife to death in their apartment in 2024.
Jose Lequerica, 50, of 34th Avenue, was arrested by the NYPD in the same apartment on Tuesday, July 22, and booked at the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights. He was arraigned later in the day in Queens Supreme Court on an indictment charging him with two counts of murder in the second degree. Lequerica is being held without bail and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
According to the indictment, during the late evening hours of Nov. 15, 2024, Lequerica repeatedly struck his 48-year-old wife, Asli Ak, on her face, head, and body. He then left their apartment for approximately two hours, returned to the apartment and went to sleep on the couch without seeing the victim. At around 10:45 a.m. on Nov. 16, 2024, Lequerica woke up and entered the bedroom where he found his wife unconscious on the floor. Lequerica allegedly did not call the police until 6:22 p.m.
EMS responded to the location and rushed the victim to Elmhurst Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition with severe bruising to her face, head and body. She was declared brain dead on Nov. 20, 2024, after an autopsy revealed that she had severe head injuries, including a hematoma that caused swelling inside the head, crushing her brain stem. Her cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which deemed her death a homicide.
Following the grand jury indictment, an arrest warrant was issued for Lequerica. He was arrested by police at his home on Tuesday morning.
“Domestic violence is a plague in our communities that must be rooted out at the core,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “The defendant is accused of intentionally killing his wife through blunt force trauma and allegedly waiting over seven hours to call 911 after finding her unconscious.”
Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis remanded Lequerica into custody without bail and ordered him to return to court on Aug. 12. If convicted, Lequerica faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
“Far too often, victims are made to feel isolated and alone, leading to heartbreaking results,” Katz said. “Please know that there are resources available to help you safely escape a dangerous domestic situation. My thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends as we seek to hold the defendant responsible.”
