A 50-year-old man in New York is accused of killing his 48-year-old wife last year after allegedly beating her so severely that he crushed her brain stem. Authorities announced that Jose Lequerica has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the brutal killing of Asli Ak in November 2024.
Officers from the NYPD’s 115th Precinct arrested Lequerica on Tuesday at his home on 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens. He then appeared for his arraignment before Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis, pleading not guilty.
According to a news release from the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Ak was fatally attacked at the couple’s home on November 15, 2024, late in the evening. During the assault, authorities claim Lequerica “repeatedly struck his wife on her face, head, and body” in their bedroom.
Lequerica then left their house for approximately two hours. When he returned, he didn’t bother to check on his wife’s condition and instead fell asleep on the couch.
According to prosecutors, Lequerica entered the bedroom around 10:45 a.m. and discovered his wife unconscious on the floor. Rather than calling for help, he allegedly left Ak to suffer on the ground for more than seven hours before calling 911 at around 6:22 p.m., according to the release.
Emergency medical personnel arrived at the couple’s apartment and transported the victim to nearby Elmhurst Hospital for treatment. Ak sustained “severe bruising to her face, head, and body” and never fully recovered from her injuries. She was eventually declared brain dead on November 20, 2024.
The medical examiner performed an autopsy and determined that Ak’s death was a homicide with the cause being “blunt force trauma to the head.”
“The autopsy revealed that she had severe head injuries including a hematoma that caused swelling inside the head, crushing her brain stem,” according to the news release.
Lequercia is being held without bail and is set to appear in court again on August 12.
“Domestic violence is a plague in our communities that must be eradicated at its source,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. “The defendant is accused of intentionally killing his wife with blunt force trauma and allegedly waiting more than seven hours to call 911 after discovering her unconscious. Far too often, victims are made to feel isolated and alone, which has heartbreaking consequences. Please understand that there are resources available to assist you in safely leaving a dangerous domestic situation. “My thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends as we work to hold the defendant accountable.”
Ak’s brother started a GoFundMe page, stating that she touched many lives and was “lost too soon.”
“From her days as a teacher to her time with children as a nanny, Asli touched the hearts of many,” according to the document. “She later became a greatly successful real estate broker, and even though her dream of owning her own real estate agency remained unrealized, her contributions were generous and many.”
