Man accused of killing two women in Worcester arrested in New York

A man accused of killing his girlfriend and her mother in Worcester last week was arrested in New York City Thursday afternoon, authorities announced.

William Rodriguez, 59, was named a person of interest the day after two women were found fatally stabbed in a Worcester apartment on Saturday. He was arrested in New York City around 12:40 p.m. Thursday, Worcester police announced.

Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier thanked the department’s partners, including fugitive taskforces with the United States Marshals Service and the New York City Police Department.

Rodriguez is facing two charges of murder in Worcester District Court, according to court records. According to the filed statement of facts, officers responded to a 911 call to a Main Street apartment in the city, where the two women were pronounced dead with puncture and slash wounds.

Rodriguez was allegedly was arguing with one of the women, who was his girlfriend. According to court documents, he had sent a video message “referencing his girlfriend cheating on him” and had left a note in his apartment which said, in Spanish, “Women who make mistakes will receive what is coming.”

While police or court documents did not identify the women, The Boston Globe reported that the victims were Ana Maria Martinez, 58, and her mother Sergia Acosta, 76.

Besides the 911 callers, Rodriguez was also the last person seen on surveillance video entering and exiting the address, court documents said. 

Previously, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to manslaughter for stabbing his wife to death in 2004. Prosecutors said the couple’s failing marriage and his fear of being separated from his children led to the fatal stabbing, the Telegram & Gazette reported at the time. 

Rodriguez was sentenced to 15 to 20 years in 2007 and was given credit for more than 1,300 days he spent in custody during the criminal proceedings.