BY ELIZABETH SKRAPITS AND KRISTEN MULLEN (STAFF WRITERS)Published: January 30, 2011
WILKES-BARRE - City police are seeking 32-year-old Evaristo Tapia of Parrish Street on charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault and burglary in the death of Evaristo Tlatenchi, 40, and the wounding of his girlfriend, Maria Tapia, 30, Mr. Tapia's ex-wife.
Mr. Tlatenchi, of Wilkes-Barre, was killed Saturday morning at his 245 Dana St. home - allegedly by a man authorities believe formerly worked for his contracting company.
"I think it appears to be a classic motive of jealousy and perhaps a love triangle, with an ex-husband, and his ex-wife is dating someone else currently," Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll said.
Mr. Tlatenchi was pronounced dead at his home Saturday morning from multiple stab wounds to the chest and back. Ms. Musto Carroll said an autopsy is scheduled to be performed this morning by Dr. Gary Ross at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Ms. Tapia was in stable but serious condition at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Twp. on Saturday evening after surgery for knife wounds in her back and arm, Ms. Musto Carroll said. She said Ms. Tapia named her ex-husband as the suspect.
"She helped us, cooperated, and as a result, we are going to have this arrest warrant issued," Ms. Musto Carroll said.
Police were called to Mr. Tlatenchi's house at 5:15 a.m. by Ms. Tapia. When they arrived, they found Mr. Tlatenchi in a second-floor bedroom with obvious stab wounds to his chest and back, Ms. Musto Carroll said.
Ms. Tapia told investigators her ex-husband had called her Friday afternoon and asked to have the children stay over that evening. Mr. Tapia's brother, George, picked them up, since Ms. Tapia had filed a protection-from-abuse order against her former spouse.
Ms. Tapia went dancing at Bentley's nightclub in Ashley with Mr. Tlatenchi. They left around closing time, stopped at Walmart in Wilkes-Barre Twp., went to Mr. Tlatenchi's house around 3 or 4 a.m. and went directly to bed.
Ms. Tapia told police she was awakened by screaming and cursing and saw her ex-husband fighting with her boyfriend in the doorway of the bedroom. She said she saw Mr. Tapia stabbing Mr. Tlatenchi with an open fold-up knife. She yelled at him to stop and calm down. Mr. Tlatenchi fell on the floor, and Ms. Tapia told police she tried to pull her ex-husband off him, but Mr. Tapia cut her on her right forearm and stabbed her in the back.
Mr. Tapia then closed the knife, pocketed it and ran downstairs and out the front door, police said. Ms. Tapia immediately locked the door, and when she ran back upstairs she found Mr. Tlatenchi lying in a pool of blood and having a hard time breathing.
Authorities say Mr. Tapia was once an employee of Mr. Tlatenchi's.
Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help in locating Mr. Tapia. He's considered dangerous. Wilkes-Barre police may be reached at 208-4200.
Contact the writers: eskrapits@citizensvoice.com, kmullen@citizensvoice.com
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