Inset: Rosanna Rodriguez (Gustav J. Novak Funeral Home). Background: News footage of Wellington Leonardo at his sentencing (News 12 New Jersey).
A New Jersey man who stabbed his wife to death while their four daughters were in the house has been sentenced to prison.
Wellington Leonardo, 47, was found guilty of manslaughter by passion or provocation in connection with the death of his wife, 39-year-old Rosanna Rodriguez. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but could be paroled after serving 85% of his sentence. A jury acquitted him of the more severe charge of murder.
Leonardo fatally stabbed his wife, whose 40th birthday was just days away, in the kitchen of their home in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, during the early morning hours of Sept. 21, 2024. According to court documents, Rodriguez had told Leonardo that she wanted to end their marriage.
The couple's oldest daughter, who was 13 years old at the time, was woken up by her mother's screaming around 3 a.m. — and caught Leonardo in the act. The girl walked into the kitchen to find her father stabbing her mother in the stomach. Rodriguez pleaded with her daughter to call 911, which she did.
During the 911 call, which was played during Leonardo's trial, the girl was heard telling the dispatcher, "My dad is trying to stab my mom." The dispatcher told the girl to hide in a locked room with her three sisters, who were 11 years old, 3 years old, and 11 months old at the time, and wave out a window to police when they arrived.
Police said the girl went back to the kitchen and tried to stop her father by throwing a bag at his head. He reportedly just stared at his daughter. She then gathered her sisters into her mother's bedroom.
When police arrived at the scene, they found both Leonardo and Rodriguez covered in blood on the kitchen floor. Leonardo was taken to a hospital for treatment; Rodriguez was taken to a different hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Leonardo was also found guilty of weapons-related offenses and felony child endangerment.
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