Santa Ana Man Arrested in Fatal Beating With Bottle
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A Santa Ana man was arrested this morning after his wife was beaten to death with am empty champagne bottle. Their 13-month-old daughter, who was in her mother’s arms during the beating, was on life support systems this morning with head injuries.
Joseph Peter Lynch, 43, called police about 12:30 a.m. today to say that someone had been killed at his apartment in the 700 block of West First Street, Santa Ana Police spokeswoman Maureen Thomas said.
Officers found Helen Lynch, 35, on the living room floor, dead of massive head injuries. In her arms was the couple’s daughter, Natalie Alexandra Lynch, who had also been beaten on the head with the bottle, Thomas said.
Neighbor Blamed
Joseph Lynch initially told police that a neighbor had committed the crime, Thomas said.
“But then he changed his stories and told police officers that he had, in fact, killed his wife,” she said. “It was an extremely brutal attack.”
Police could not determine a motive for the slaying, but said it appeared they had drunk the champagne Monday night.
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