Pinoy in US lands in jail for robbing, attacking wife

The Filipino man who was the subject of an extensive manhunt for brutally attacking and robbing his ex-wife on June 30 has been arrested and jailed without bail.

 

Edmund Manuel, 38, of Bathgate Avenue in the Bronx, N.Y., was apprehended without incident on July 29 at the 104th Precinct, according to a precinct officer, who would not elaborate.

 

“The case is now in the hands of the Queens DA (District Attorney) and we’re not at liberty to give details anymore,” said the officer.

 

Queens DA spokeswoman Helen Peterson told the Filipino Reporter that Manuel is now at Rikers Island and had his first court appearance on Aug. 12.

 

He will remain in jail pending his trial, she added.

 

Manuel is facing numerous counts of assault, strangulation, robbery, burglary, unlawful imprisonment, grand larceny and criminal contempt, Peterson said.

 

According to reports, Manuel broke into the home of his ex-wife, Marie Grace Manuel, on 57th Drive in Maspeth at about 3:15 p.m on June 30, tied her down with an extension cord and duct tape, and viciously beat her for several hours while she went in and out of consciousness.

 

He then reportedly stole her two cell phones, iPad, $1,000 cash, credit and debit cards, and her car following the assault and fled the scene.

 

The car was recovered by police in the Bronx area with a hammer and duct tape inside the car.

 

In her deposition, the victim told police she tried to run out of the front door when she saw the suspect barging into her house, but the suspect managed to grab her by the hair, punched her in the face and dragged her into her bedroom.

 

The victim said the suspect told him, “I’m gonna go to jail anyway, so I might as well get back to you and kill you.”

 

The victim said once inside the bedroom, the suspect “closed the door and shut the window, then proceeded to repeatedly punch and kick her about the body, and to repeatedly slam her head against the wall.”

 

The ex-wife also claimed Manuel “produced a sharp object from his pocket and repeatedly slashed her on the face, specifically in the eyes, while repeatedly stating ‘give me your eyes.’”

 

Manuel then choked the victim “by wrapping an extension cord around her neck and pulling it tight, causing her to have difficulty breathing.”

 

The victim said the last thing she saw before she passed out was the suspect holding a hammer.

 

She regained consciousness two hours later, with her hands and feet untied, she said.

 

104th Precinct Captain Christopher Manson told the Queens Ledger that Manuel was previously arrested for assaulting his ex-wife and twice violating the order of protection she has against him.

 

The Queens Criminal Court and the Queens Family Court separately issued an order of protection on on behalf of the victim on Jan. 24 and June 13, both ordering Manuel to stay away from his ex-wife at all times.

 

The orders are in effect until Jan. 23, 2015 and Aug. 12, 2015, respectively.

 

“He’s an animal with the way he beat her,” Manson was quoted as saying.

 

“He didn’t just beat her with his fist, but he took an icepick to her eye, slashed her across the eye and now she has a big gash. He’s number one on the manhunt list right now.”

 

The victim spent four days at Elmhurst General Hospital and had undergone surgery to have her right eyelid reattached and numerous deep lacerations to her face treated. - Filipino Reporter