Harlem Man Accused Of Stabbing Wife To Death Is Indicted

HARLEM, NY — The man accused of stabbing his elderly wife to death in their Harlem apartment was formally indicted Monday on a murder charge, prosecutors announced.

Gerardo Balbuena, 68, allegedly stabbed his 80-year-old wife Leonilda Nuez Balbuena on June 10 in the home they shared West 144th Street near Riverside Drive.

According to prosecutors, Balbuena called his niece around 10 p.m. that night and admitted to having done "something bad," adding that he would kill himself.

Officers arrived at the apartment minutes later in response to a 911 call and found the front door locked — but saw Balbuena on the fire escape holding a large, wood-handled knife, prosecutors said.

Police then entered the apartment through an open window, finding Leonilda Nuez Balbuena lying unresponsive on her bedroom floor — with multiple stab wounds to her chest and abdomen.

She was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital, but could not be saved.

"Leonilda Nuez Balbuena’s life ended in a shocking and brutal crime," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.

"No family should ever have to experience the pain caused by this type of tragedy, and we are committed to ensuring accountability."

Nuez, known to friends as "China," had been known for holding court on her stoop and "always making everyone laugh," a relative told the New York Post last month. Balbuena may have attacked her following an argument over a house they owned, the Post reported.

Previous coverage: After Killing Wife, Harlem Man Said He'd Done 'Something Bad': Police