Alleged illegal immigrant charged in "heinous" Mahopac murder
Dirk Perrefort, Staff Writer
Published: 08:55 p.m., Saturday, December 25, 2010

CARMEL, N.Y. -- A man described by police as an illegal immigrant from Ecuador has been arrested in connection with stabbing his wife to death after an early Friday argument at their Mahopac, N.Y., home.

According to Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith, Paul Amay, 25, was taken into custody Friday afternoon and charged with second-degree murder. Smith said the couple had an argument at their home on Agor Lane early Friday when Amay strangled his wife outside their home, dragged her body into the house and "plunged a knife into her chest several times."

Smith said the couple's 18-month-old son was unharmed and Putnam County Child Protective Services was notified about the case and is supervising the child's welfare. He declined to comment on whether the child was home at the time of the killing, saying such information could jeopardize the investigation.

Police discovered the killing at around 3 a.m. Friday when Deputy Randel Hill of the sheriff's office went to the home after police received a phone call asking authorities to check on a resident. Police said that when Hill arrived, he looked inside through the windows and saw a woman's body on the floor.

Garciela Zingri Amay, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
"This is a truly tragic case," Smith said. "A young mother and daughter, Mrs. Amay was needlessly killed in cold blood. "My heart goes out to her family and friends," he added.

Police said they began searching for Amay's husband, Paul Amay, as a person of interest in the case shortly after the woman's body was discovered. Smith said that at about 4 p.m. Friday, officers with the Village of Ossining Police Department located Amay, who they said is an illegal immigrant from Ecuador. He said Amay was a passenger in a taxi cab at the time of his arrest.

Officials with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency were notified about the incident, Smith said. Paul Amay was arraigned before Carmel Town Justice Joseph Spofford and is being held without bail, Smith said.

"We are confident we have the perpetrator of this heinous crime in custody," Smith said, "and we are confident that we have a solid case against Mr. Amay."

Both Smith and Carmel Police Department Chief Michael Johnson praised the work conducted by investigators in the case. "This case came to closure in less than 24 hours by law enforcement agencies working in a cooperative effort," Johnson said. "Sheriff's investigators and Carmel police detectives teamed up in a collaborative effort to bring Mr. Amay to justice."

Smith said investigators with the sheriff's office and detectives with the Carmel Police Department assisted in the case. Johnson said investigators were also assisted by the New York State Police, the Village of Ossining Police Department, the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services and the Putnam County District Attorney's office.

Contact Dirk Perrefort at dperrefort@newstimes.com or at 203-731-3358

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