LYNN — A 47-year-old woman was allegedly beaten to death with a metal baseball bat by her husband at her Chase Street apartment early Monday morning.
Luz Yanina Acevedo-Gomez was found dead in her apartment from apparent blunt force trauma. Her husband, Miguel A. Castillo, 55, was arrested for her death and arraigned on the murder charge in Lynn District Court on Monday, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents, Castillo, who is also listed as living at the apartment, confessed to killing his wife with a baseball bat.
Castillo reportedly told police: “Go ahead. Take me. I killed my wife,” court documents show.
Castillo, who was visibly crying in court and appeared to almost fall over at one point, pleaded not guilty and was held without bail. He returns to court for a probable cause hearing on May 4. His attorney, John Apruzzese, declined comment following the arraignment.
Lynn Police responded to 8 Chase St., Apt. 17, at 4:45 a.m. for a requested well-being check on Acevedo-Gomez and found her dead, the DA’s office said.
According to court documents, police responded to the apartment following a phone call from Castillo’s brother, who relayed that he just had a phone conversation with his sister, who told him that Castillo had called her and confessed to killing his wife with a baseball bat.
Castillo’s brother told police that Castillo wanted to turn himself in. Police arrived at the apartment, knocked on the door and were greeted by Castillo, who stepped out into the hallway with both of his arms held out in front of him with his fists closed and wrists touching, which officers interpreted as him offering to be handcuffed, according to court documents.
It was at this point that Castillo allegedly told police he killed his wife. Police told Castillo to step aside and be quiet while they investigated, which prompted him to motion wanting to be arrested again, by placing his hands behind his back and telling officers “Just arrest me,” court documents show.
In the apartment, police found a small, metal baseball bat leaning against a door frame. An officer checked the bat for blood and found different areas of the bat with what looked like dried blood on it, particularly on the “sweet spot” of the bat, or the barrel, court documents show.
When police entered the living room, they saw blood splatter along the left wall above a table in the room and an unresponsive woman on the floor. She was identified as Acevedo-Gomez and pronounced dead at the scene by the Lynn Fire Department.
John Nameika, of Lynn, a former tenant of 8 Chase St. said he’s been visiting his girlfriend there for about a year.
“I didn’t know them personally, but I had seen them from time to time,” said Nameika, referring to the victim and her husband. “I saw them arguing quite a few times, but it just seemed like regular arguing.”
Nameika said the building is safe, but the street has had its problems.
“The only problem is it seems like an isolated incident,” Nameika said. “Unfortunately, a young woman died, but this street has always been plagued with its problems, not just with what’s gone on here. We had a young man stabbed here right in the parking lot, actually right under the porch that I lived in and he died out in the street.”
Nameika said that stabbing was about a year ago, most likely referring to the fatal stabbing of 20-year-old Jason Arias-Amador, of Boston, which happened in the area of 14 Chase St. last March.
There was another homicide at 8 Chase St. last April. Bret Reilly, 48, of Lynn, died from his injuries after being beaten and sodomized with a broom. Darrin Stephens, 51, and John Michelin, 32, were indicted for murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon last month.
Nameika said there’s also been continuous drug use and prostitution. Every now and then, police come in and sweep the street — it gets clean and then it’s good.
“I feel bad for lots of people who live here because they’re hard-working people and they want to live in a safe environment and something like this is tragic,” Nameika said. “And unfortunately, a young woman died. The family’s obviously going to be upset. It’s ruined a lot of lives.”
Authorities are investigating the apparent domestic homicide, which marks the first homicide in the city this year. Last year, there were 12 killings, the most in Lynn since 1994, when there were 14.
Property records show 8 Chase St. is an 18-unit apartment complex, which is owned by the Malden-based entity, Chase Apartments LLC. The building’s assessed value is $702,600 and the total assessed value of the property is $1,386,600.
This story has been updated.
