Elderly man accused of beating wife with hammer inside home, Miami police say

MIAMI – An elderly man beat his wife with a hammer inside their home, Miami police said.

The incident happened Saturday morning inside the couple's apartment in the 600 block of Southwest Seventh Court.

Police arrived and heard a woman crying for help. Because the voice had a sound of serious distress, the officer kicked in the door of the apartment, police said.

The officer saw the victim covered with blood laying face down with Jose Guillermo Duarte, 81, straddled over her with a hammer in his left hand, according to an arrest affidavit.

The officer pointed his weapon at Duarte and told him to drop the hammer. Police said Duarte quickly dropped the hammer.

Duarte was taken into custody.

The victim was taken by Miami Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. Police said she continues to be in critical, but stable condition.

According to the arrest affidavit, the victim told police that Duarte had beaten her with the hammer because he believed that she was cheating on him with someone else.

The victim suffered multiple injuries to the back of her head, face and mouth. Police said she also lost a tooth and suffered a broken jaw.