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Man Charged with Stabbing His Wife to Death in Staten Island Home

By Nicholas Rizzi | February 19, 2013 10:07am

NEW SPRINGVILLE — A Staten Island man was charged with murder Tuesday after police said he stabbed his common-law wife to death in her New Springville home then turned the weapon on himself.

Adiljan Anarbaev, 44, of Westerleigh, was charged with murder, criminal possession of a firearm and criminal contempt for allegedly stabbing Ilona Ganzha, 44, in her Country Drive North home on Monday, the NYPD said.

Police said that Anarbaev was arguing with Ganzha in her bedroom just before 3:40 p.m. when he stabbed her several times in the chest. He then stabbed himself in the chest twice and slit his wrists, cops said.

Ganzha was pronounced dead at the scene, and Anarbaev was transported to Staten Island University Hospital in critical condition, police said.

Sheila Vega, who had rented an apartment in  Westerleigh to Anarbaev for the past three months, said, "I'm in shock. He was very, very quiet and very nice."

Vega said that Anarbaev had been going through a divorce with his wife

She said that she never saw any sign of violence from him.

"He seemed to be a very caring person, very loving with his kids," she said.

Neighbors of Ganzha said she had four children who lived in the home with her.

"Nothing like this should happen to anybody," said Theres Cirillo, who lives nearby. "I feel so terrible that this happened."

Cirillo described Ganzha as a "very lovely woman" and said the family mostly kept to themselves.