The 31-year-old woman who allegedly stabbed her longtime boyfriend to death after years of abuse was sent to jail until a grand jury convenes to review the case, a judge ruled Sunday. Christina Quinones sobbed loudly as she was escorted out of the courtroom packed with more than a dozen supporters following the arraignment.
Police say Quinones slammed a knife into the chest of Ruben Jimenez, 31, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, during an argument in her apartment at the Todt Hill Houses on Westwood Ave. in Castleton Corners, Staten Island.
On Sunday, her defense lawyer, Andrea Ibrahim, argued she should be released on her own recognizance.
“She has three children she has to fight to get back because of this incident,” she told State Supreme Court Justice William Garnett.
The three children — a 14-year-old girl, a 10-year-old boy and a 4-year-old boy — were in the apartment during the stabbing, police said. Jimenez was the father of two of the children, officials said.
Quinones’ family said Jimenez had abused the young mother for years.
“She was a single mother ... a very good mother, but she was in an abusive relationship,” relative Sylvia Quinones, 27, said Saturday.
Approximately 14 family members and friends attended her arraignment Sunday morning.
“We’re all shocked,” an elderly uncle said after the emotional proceeding.
Quinones’ lawyer argued her client’s serious heart condition required medical care outside of jail. The Staten Island Legal Aid lawyer also cited the long history of abuse and Quinones clean record, to no avail.
Jimenez had been collared 14 times before — twice for violent attacks against Quinones, court records show.
In February 2013, he challenged Quinones in front of their children’s school, cops said. After cursing and spitting at her, he picked up a bottle and threatened to hit her with it. He was charged with menacing. A year and a half later — on Oct. 24, 2014 — he strangled Quinones during a fight inside her Staten Island home, police said.
Jimenez’s family acknowledged the couple had a turbulent relationship but blamed Quinones for the problems.
“I love Christina like she’s my sister, but this fake self-defense thing is a lie,” said Jimenez’s sister, Melissa Jimenez. “I’m just waiting for the autopsy to confirm that…once they give us that report…if she did it in self-defense, OK, we can accept that, that’s not a problem, but don’t lie about something like that.”
The two families have known each other from the neighborhood for decades and the couple began dating 14 years ago.
The problems began after their second son was born in 2012, according to Jimenez’s relatives.
“I don’t know where their relationship went sour, but it did,” said Jimenez’s cousin, Christina Jimenez. “They both had their own things, they both was going through whatever it is they was going through, but they were still working things out.”
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/s-mom-accused-boyfriend-stabbing-death-jailed-article-1.2499727?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NydnRss+%28Top+Stories+-+NY+Daily+News%29
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