A Queens man accused of murdering his wife cried in court Thursday as prosecutors accused him of stabbing her 40 times — before holding their blood-spattered 2-year-old son in his arms as cops arrived.
Angel Apodaca is accused of killing his wife of two years, 24-year-old Tania Morales Garcia, inside their Kew Gardens Hills home on Park Drive East near Jewel Ave. about 8:30 p.m. Monday.
After the slaying, Apodaca, 22, called his mother and claimed his wife had been cheating on him and that when he confronted her she tried to stab him, police sources said. He then fought back with a pole, he claimed.
His concerned mother rushed to the scene and called 911, sources said.
A 24-year-old woman was killed inside her home on Park Drive East in Kew Gardens Hills on Monday night.
Medics rushed Morales Garcia to New-York Presbyterian Hospital Queens, where she died.
Police do not believe Apodaca’s story and charged him Thursday after he was treated for various wounds, apparently suffered during the attack.
In addition to murder, he is also charged with endangering the welfare of a child and weapon possession.
He was ordered held without bail during his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court Thursday, where he cried as prosecutors described the crime.
Morales Garcia was found face up on the bedroom floor with about 40 stabs wounds to her head and body, mostly to her back, prosecutors said. Her husband was covered in blood holding their blood-spattered toddler in his arms when cops arrived, according to prosecutors. Their daughter had just two days prior turned 2.
Apodaca appeared in court with a cast on each hand and cuts and scrapes on both arms. One hand was broken, his lawyer said.
Morales Garcia and Apodaca knew each other for four years and were married two years ago but had an acrimonious relationship punctuated by what the prosecutor called “unreported” domestic violence incidents. The suspect lives in Richmond Hill, according to cops.
Apodaca has a prior arrest, charged in Queens with robbery and assault in 2018 when he was 18 and accused of beating up a woman he was dating at the time, police sources said. The victim, also 18, accused him of punching her in the face and stomach then stealing money from her, sources said.
A domestic incident report was also filed in that case. A second report was filed before that, when Apodaca was dating another woman and police were called to break up an argument.