Dead Woman's Body Found After Her Toddler's Crying Alerted Neighbors

A woman from Brooklyn was found dead Wednesday at the bottom of a basement stairs inside her home at Crown Heights on Sterling Place. Neighbors heard the cries the woman's two-year-old daughter and alerted the police.

Police suspect 22-year-old Tonie Wells was strangled by her husband as there was bruising on her neck. They arrested Wells’ husband — 29-year-old Barry Wells — in connection with the incident Thursday and further investigations were on, reported New York Daily News.

Deputy Chief Michael Kemper, Commanding Officer of Detective Borough Brooklyn North, said, “Preliminarily, the deceased female has bruising on her neck and it appears as if she was either pushed or fell down the flight of stairs leading to the basement.”

According to the report in New York Post, a senior police officer said, “Witnesses heard an argument and something falling down the stairs.”

Their neighbor Michelle Ruiz, 22, said, “They seemed like a nice family. I would see them together. She was nice. He was always pleasant. This is a very quiet block, I didn’t hear anything today. I’m still in shock.” Ruiz added, “I would never think in a million years something like this would happen.”

According to a report in the New York Daily News, Wells’ sister, referring to the husband, said, “It was him. It wasn’t an accident. It was definitely him.”

However, police have not yet confirmed the exact time of the incident and for how long Wells’ body was lying inside the house. Wells’ cousin informed that Wells had suffered a miscarriage in November after a domestic quarrel. Police sources said Wells was eight months pregnant when she lost her baby.

Earlier, Wells' husband had got his wife’s face tattooed on his back and posted the picture on his Instagram page and wrote, “I wasn’t gonna post anything until our anniversary, BUT you let the cat out the bag. Early Anniversary gift, plus it’s Wednesday. #WellsWay.”

Trevor Lyons, who lived in the neighborhood for 30 years, told the New York Daily News, “It’s just sad. It’s a shame this time of the year. I feel sorry for the baby.”

In another incident in August, a baby’s cries led a neighbor to a car where a woman's dead body was found. The neighbor called the 911 and police rushed to the spot immediately. The 31-year-old woman, Latosha Nicole Lewis of Tabor City, North Carolina, was pronounced dead at the spot, according to Tony Hendrick, Horry County Deputy Coroner.

According to Krystal Dotson, spokeswoman of the Horry County Police Department, Lewis’ body was found at the intersection of Church and Carolina roads.