A Rahway resident has been arrested and charged with fatally strangling his live-in girlfriend this weekend, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Saturday.
Ignacio Ortiz, 40, was charged in connection with the death of 27-year-old Yury Cruz.
Rahway Police Department patrol units responded to the 900 block of Jacques Avenue in Rahway shortly after 2:30 a.m.
Saturday to find an unresponsive Cruz, according to the investigation. Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter.
A joint investigation by the Union County Homicide Task Force and the Rahway Police Department revealed that Ortiz had killed Cruz, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Spagnoli, who is prosecuting the case.
Ortiz subsequently was lodged in Union County Jail on $1 million bail set by state Superior Court Judge Joseph P. Donohue.
An autopsy on Cruz will be performed this week.
Convictions on murder charges are punishable by 30 years to life in state prison.