A man charged with stabbing his estranged girlfriend to death at her apartment in Chelsea, Massachusetts, this year was ordered held without bail at a court hearing Tuesday, where he told a magistrate judge his mind wasn't working well and asked to go to a hospital.
"My mind is not well, my mind is not well, I've been telling you that," Angel Alvarez said in Spanish, through an interpreter, in Suffolk Superior Court after pleading not guilty to grand jury charges of first-degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in violation of a restraining order.
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The magistrate judge told Alvarez that was a matter he should speak with his attorney about. Earlier, as the hearing began, Alvarez had told the judge, "I don't feel well, I need to go to a hospital, I told you that the other day," but the lawyer said it was alright to continue with the hearing.
Alvarez was arrested hours after 59-year-old Margarita Morehead was found fatally stabbed on the floor of her apartment on LaFayette Avenue on May 8. Morehead had a restraining order out against Alvarez since October, and prosecutors said Tuesday that Alvarez was frequently jealous of her and hostile, accusing her of cheating on him.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
On the morning of her death, Alvarez was at Morehead's apartment and they were arguing over her attempt to leave him, prosecutors said.
"She threatened to call the police if he did not leave and she picked up a cellphone," Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy said in court. "At that point, the defendant punched Ms. Morehead twice in the face and then became enraged when she said that her daughter, who was expected to visit later that morning, would see her injuries and that he would go to jail.
"The defendant grabbed a large kitchen knife at that point and stabbed Ms. Morehead multiple times in the chest and once in the back. While doing so, he cut two of his own fingers on his right hand," Murphy said.
A neighbor heard Morehead's screams and saw a man, later identified as Alvarez, walk out, leaving a trail of blood, but he didn't call for help, Murphy said. Instead, after the better part of an hour, his partner called a domestic violence hotline, and a staff member there called 911.
Morehead was found unresponsive, with a kitchen knife near her. Alvarez had fled, according to Murphy, buying new clothes at a Target, where his bloody old clothes were found, and told others that he had stabbed Morehead and was thinkin about harming himself. He turned himself in that evening, allegedly at his family's advice.
Offered the chance to respond, Alvarez' court-appointed attorney elected to reserve his argument for a later hearing.
Alvarez's next court date was set for Nov. 9.
At the time of the killing, neighbors said the building is usually quiet and were stunned to hear of the deadly attack, which they called shocking, unexpected and sad.
"This is horrible. This is uncalled for," said neighbor Mario Garcia. "Something like this happened at this time of day? That's tragic."
