A former NYPD officer was accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend with a machete in New Jersey before coming up to Upper Manhattan and jumping in front of a subway train on Thursday.
The ex-cop, Long Island resident Arthur Lomando, killed his ex-girlfriend, Suzanne Bardzell, 48, around 3:30 p.m. after shattering the driver's side window of her SUV parked in front of her Midland Park home., Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said Thursday, according to the New York Daily News.
The mother of two, who recently filed a restraining order against Lomando due to a history of domestic abuse, was found dead inside the car with the engine still running.
Molinelli revealed Lomando had used "a very large machete-type of knife, striking her several times," noting that investigators later found the murder weapon outside the Godwin Ave., home, according to The Bergen Record.
Lomando, 44, then fled to the city after the murder and jumped in front of an A train at around 4:30 p.m, at the 168th St. Station. His legs were severed due to the collision, and an emergency crew rushed him to Harlem Hospital Center, where he went into underwent surgery for his injuries.
The incident prompted delays on the A and C lines until about 5:30 p.m. Before an official statement was released, NYPD and MTA officials were vague about the affair only saying there was an "investigation" going on due to an "incident."
The NYPD spokesman declined to state the man's name or comment on media reports that the homicide suspect is a former NYPD officer. Lomando served as an officer for 10 years before he was fired in 2004 over misconduct and mental health concerns, according to court documents cited by WABC-TV.
Lomando's neighbors had allegedly grown used to the sight of police cars outside Bardzell's home in recent weeks. Lomando recently eluded pursuing police via railroad tracks, Molinelli said.
"We are in the process of issuing arrest warrants for murder, possession of weapon, and violating the terms of a restraining order," he told reporters.
It was cited that Lomando was fired from the force due to "mental" reasons, though it's unclear if those same issues played a part in the murder and alleged attempted suicide.
