Man Who Killed Wife In Queens Salon Has Past Assault Conviction

JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS — The man who stabbed his wife to death in a Jackson Heights beauty salon this week has a record of assault, trespassing and violating an order of protection, according to a news report.

William Rivas, 39, faces murder and weapon charges for fatally stabbing his wife on Wednesday in the salon where she worked.

A man with the same name and date of birth was arrested in 2013 in Philadelphia on charges of aggravated assault, criminal trespassing and making terroristic threats, according to The New York Times.

He was released on bail but landed back in court three months later on a charge that he'd violated a restraining order, the Times reported. He pleaded guilty to that charge and was later found guilty of the earlier charges.

Prosecutors in Philadelphia told the Times they could not immediately provide more information.

Carmen Iris Santiago, 35, was working at Tu S'tilo Salon and Spa about 7 p.m. on Aug. 7 when Rivas walked in and stabbed her.

Santiago's friend told the New York Daily News that the couple was married for four years but split up earlier this year, adding that Santiago seemed scared of him.

The number of murders in New York City has gone down over the last two decades, according to the Times, but domestic violence homicides have held steady.