A Staten Island woman was charged Thursday with killing her husband and setting their house on fire to cover up the crime, police said.
Antionetta Baldassarre, 67, allegedly told investigators she killed her 82-year-old husband, Frank Baldassare, because she was tired of his abuse. She then set the garage of the Victory Boulevard house on fire Wednesday afternoon and used duct tape to bind her feet and mouth, police said.
Her hands, however, were free, police said.
Baldassarre was charged with second-degree murder, arson and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
Her husband was found dead in the first floor bathroom tub of the Tompkinsville home at about 12:30 p.m., suffering from blunt force trauma to the head. A crowbar was found next to the tub, police said.
Baldassarre was found in the garage, where the fire started, police said. She suffered from smoke inhalation and was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in stable condition.
On Thursday, she remained in the hospital and was awaiting arraignment, said a spokesman for the Staten Island district attorney’s office.
