A Ridgewood man is being held without bail for allegedly stabbing his wife and 2-year-old to death inside the family’s apartment before turning the bloody kitchen knife on himself in an apparent suicide attempt on the night of Saturday, July 19.
Ernesto Cruz, 54, of 63-35 Forest Avenue, was arraigned on July 25 from his bed at Elmhurst Hospital, where he is still recovering from the self-inflicted stab wounds to his chest and slashed wrist. Cruz is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and weapons possession for allegedly stabbing his 41-year-old wife, Ana Alexandra Pilatagsi Moposita, numerous times with a kitchen knife, before turning the knife on the couple’s daughter, Analiz Cruz, who was stabbed multiple times in the torso.
Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said Cruz had been on a FaceTime call with his nephew when he grabbed the kitchen knife and began his bloody rampage, and it was the nephew who called police to the family’s Ridgewood residence.
According to the investigation and indictment, police from the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood responded to the 911 call reporting an assault in progress at around 7:15 p.m. They found both victims bleeding and unconscious. Officers found Cruz nearby with the self-inflicted wounds to his chest and wrist.
EMS transported Cruz to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition. EMS also rushed the wounded woman to Elmhurst Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition and was later pronounced dead. EMS transported the 2-year-old to Wykoff Heights Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition and was later pronounced dead by hospital staff late Saturday night. Cruz underwent emergency surgery and is still recovering.
“New York City mourns the 2-year-old child and mother who were stabbed to death in their own home,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “The defendant stands accused of killing them before trying to take his own life in a devastating case of domestic violence.”
A day before Cruz was arraigned, the NYPD provided an update on the savagery involved in the double-homicide, reporting that Cruz stabbed his wife 18 times, six of which pierced her heart. He then stabbed his daughter nine times to the face and body. She died from a severed artery, police said July 24.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder remanded Cruz into custody without bail and ordered him to return to court on Oct. 16. If convicted, Cruz faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“I urge anyone who is made to feel unsafe in their own home to reach out,” Katz said. “The prosecutors in my office work closely with our service provider partners who can help with safety planning. My thoughts are with the loved ones affected by this loss.”
