The 44-year-old man who claimed two Black men stabbed his girlfriend to death in a botched robbery in a secluded area of Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx when he stopped to urinate has now been charged with killing her, police said Friday.
Franklin Batallas was charged with murder, assault and weapons possession after his story about muggers killing Anthonella Contreras Linarez, 30, unraveled under questioning by detectives, sources said.
Batallas was described as having a jealous streak and Linarez was in the process of breaking up with him, according to a police source.
The tragedy unfolded around 8:10 p.m. Wednesday when NYPD police were called by New Rochelle police after learning that Batallas had driven the victim to Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital, cops said.
Anthonella Contreras Linarez (left) with Franklin Batallas. (Facebook)
Batallas told Bronx detectives that he and the victim were heading to City Island earlier in the night to meet a friend for dinner when Batallas pulled over inside Pelham Bay Park — at City Island Road and Park Drive — to urinate, at which point two Black men on a moped, dressed in all black with hoodies, pulled up to the car and demanded money from Linarez.
When she refused, he claimed, they repeatedly stabbed her in the face, neck and body — and slashed him in the left arm after he ran from the bushes in a vain attempt to save her.
The attackers then supposedly drove off.
Police were skeptical from the start of the investigation, noting there were few, if any, surveillance cameras near where the suspect said the attack happened. It wasn’t yet clear exactly where the murder happened.
Police also found Batallas’ hair on Linarez’s hands, which indicated a fierce struggle, sources said.
Batallas was also said to have wounds, which police were probing to determine if he slashed himself on purpose, or by accident as he was attacking her, sources said.
Batallas has one prior arrest, for driving while ability impaired by alcohol in 2018.
“It’s shocking that this would happen,” said Richard Allen, 46, a security guard at the Bronx building where the couple lived. “It’s sad, very sad.”
