Sunday, July 22, 2012

Pemberton Township, NJ: South NJ woman charged in husband's shooting death

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — The wife of an elderly man found shot to death inside his southern New Jersey home has been charged with his murder.

Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi announced Sunday that 76-year-old Fredricka Rosa of Pemberton Township was being held on $250,000 bail in the death of 79-year-old Valpa Rosa Sr. She was scheduled to be arraigned Monday in state Superior Court, though it was not known if she has retained an attorney.

Township police officers found the body on Saturday morning after being called to the home by a family member, but Bernardi said it's believed that Rosa died sometime Thursday night. Rosa was shot in the head and neck with a .357 magnum handgun, which Bernardi said was recovered at the residence.

Bernardi said police were called to the home by one the couple's children, who lives out of state but went there after receiving a call from Fredricka Rosa. He did not disclose further details.

The couple had been married for 54 years, according to relatives.

A possible motive for the shooting wasn't disclosed by authorities, but family members told WCAU-TV in Philadelphia (hrrp://bit.ly/06HLTN) that Fredricka Rosa had been abused by her husband for many years. They also said she is physically disabled and suffers from both Dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

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