By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Middlesex County announced that Joan Franklin Polanco, 37, of Edison, has been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing that occurred in Edison on July 21.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said on July 21, at approximately 4:37 p.m., Edison Police Department received a 911 call reporting a stabbing on Horizon Drive.
Upon their arrival, officials said, officers discovered Lizbeth Benitez-Ramirez, 37, of Edison, with multiple stab wounds.
According to officials, Benitez-Ramirez was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Officials stated that an initial investigation led by Detective Clint Hetzell of the Edison Police Department and Detective Javier Morillo of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined that Benitez-Ramirez’s son was asleep in his room when he woke up later in the afternoon, he found his mother deceased with multiple stab wounds.
The investigation determined that Joan Franklin Polanco, 37, of Edison, was seen entering the bedroom with a knife and leaving the residence shortly after the incident occurred, authorities say.
Officials say hours later, on July 21, Polanco was located and detained by the New York City Police Department.
Polanco was charged with first-degree murder and third-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, officials said.
The investigation is active and continuing, officials say.