A Santa Clara man has been charged with murdering his wife.
Police found Liren Chen, 27, spattered with blood, in his home, with his wife’s body nearby, a statement released by Santa Clara police said.
Chen, reportedly a google employee, has been charged with murder and faces prison if convicted. His arraignment has been postponed once and may be again, as he is hospitalized. An arraignment remains scheduled for 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, in Department 23 in the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
“Domestic violence deaths have been falling in our county but that does not measure the depth and destructiveness of the violence,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, noting that 911 calls regarding domestic violence have risen. “Anyone who feels that they or someone else is being abused by their partners, please reach out your local law enforcement agency. You are not alone. We can help.”
The police statement added: Around 11 a.m. on Jan.16, Santa Clara officers responded to a welfare check to a home on Valley Way. When officers arrived, an acquaintance of the suspect expressed concern about Chen and his wife. Chen was refusing to answer his phone or his door. He could see Chen inside the home, “motionless on his knees, had his hands in the air and was staring blankly.”
The officers, according to the statement, made entry into the residence and took the suspect into custody. In the bedroom directly behind where Chen had been standing, officers located the victim deceased on the floor. She had severe blunt force injuries to her head. Chen’s right hand was extremely swollen and purple. He had blood on his clothing, legs, arms, and hands and scratches on his arm.