A New York man charged with murder in the stabbing deaths of his wife and their two toddlers only killed the children because he didn’t have car seats to take the pair with him.
Miguel Mejia-Ramos, 29, was placed on suicide watch after being arraigned Friday.
Prosecutors say he told investigators he killed his children because he didn’t have car seats to take them on the lam.
Miguel Mejia-Ramos was captured early on Tuesday at a vehicle roadblock in Schulenburg, Texas, as he was attempting to flee to Mexico
Killed: Deisy Garcia, 21, was stabbed alongside her daughters, aged one and two, in their Queens home
Mejia-Ramos’ attorney did not immediately respond to a comment request.
He was arrested Monday in Texas en route to Mexico after authorities tracked his cellphone. He agreed on Wednesday to return to New York.
Deisy Garcia, 21, one-year-old Yoselin Mejia and two-year-old Daniela Mejia were killed in their bedrooms last Sunday.
Authorities say detectives recovered five knives with what appeared to be blood on them.
According to the New York Daily News, the suspect told police he tried to kill himself after slaying his family ‘but couldn’t do it.’
After his arrest, Miguel Mejia-Ramos told New York City prosecutors that was rifling through his wife’s phone and Facebook page on Sunday night and snapped when he saw an image of her with another man.
Mejia-Ramos was arrested earlier this week in La Grange, Texas, after he turned on his cellphone and authorities were able to track him.
He was stopped by U.S. Marshals just before midnight on Monday driving a car with New York State license plates and attempting to get into Mexico, where he was born, police sources said.
Four NYPD detectives traveled south to interview Mejia-Ramos and on Wednesday he agreed to return to New York.
He faces first-degree murder charges.
Miguel Mejia-Ramos, right, told New York City prosecutors that was rifling through his wife’s phone and Facebook page on Sunday night and snapped when he saw an image of her, top, with another man
Loved: Deisy Garcia’s friends described her as quiet but happy, and a good mother to her young daughters
The victims were found dead in their apartment Sunday night after friends noticed they hadn’t attended church.
Garcia’s uncle stumbled upon the gruesome scene at around 7pm on Sunday.
All three had suffered multiple stab wounds and sources said that two bloody knives were left in the two rooms where the bodies were found.
A friend, Diana Villa, told the New York Post that Garcia had been petrified of Ramos and had even asked their local pastor for help – but that she was scared of calling police because she was an illegal immigrant from Guatemala.
Villa said she had witnessed a violent fight between the couple at a recent baby shower after Ramos blamed her for having no beer at the party, which was at the church.
Scene: Garcia’s uncle came across the bodies at their Queens, New York home on Sunday night
Fears: Neighbors said that couple fought and police had responded to domestic violence complaints before
Investigation: The home, which is above a drug store, was cordoned off on Sunday night after the discovery
Police officers had visited the residence for domestic violence complaints against Ramos last November and May, but he was not arrested on either occasion.
Garcia’s uncle Ramon Chuc, 37, recalled discovering the bodies with his two sons, ages 12 and 10, after they returned to the home after playing football outside.
‘My 12-year-old son, Rene, went inside the room and saw my niece on the floor,’ Chuc sobbed. ‘After that, I… saw the two babies are covered with a blanket. I take it off and see them.’
All three were pronounced dead at the scene with stab wounds to the chest.
The apartment, which is above a drug store, was cordoned off by police.
‘She was a quiet but happy person. She always had a smile on her face. She was a good mom,’ Mario Sanchez, 16, told the Daily News.
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