Woman stabbed; estranged husband charged after suicide attempt

An Independence man is facing charges, accused of stabbing his estranged wife Thursday outside his home before attempting suicide during a standoff with police.

Jackson County prosecutors have charged Lorenzo A. Ruiz-Merlos with assault and armed criminal action. Both Ruiz-Merlos and his wife were hospitalized with knife injuries. Both were expected to survive, according to police.

The incident at an apartment complex in the 9500 block of East Winner Road began shortly before 9 a.m. when the wife drove the couple’s 4-year-old son to Ruiz-Merlos’ home for a visit, one day after beginning divorce proceedings.

According to court records, Ruiz-Merlos approached his wife in the parking lot, got in the car with her, and discussed paying her $5,000 for damage he had allegedly caused to her property during a domestic violence incident earlier this year. He also questioned her about a man she had been seeing during their yearlong separation.

Then he allegedly, without warning, stabbed her in the neck and chest with a kitchen knife. The woman fled the car and called 911.

When police arrived, Ruiz-Merlos engaged them in a brief standoff before stabbing and cutting himself in what police believed was an attempt to take his own life.

The woman was in serious but stable condition at a hospital, with stab wounds on her neck and chest, and defensive cut wounds on her fingers.

Ruiz-Merlos was hospitalized in critical but stable condition with a large cut on his throat and stab wounds in his chest.

A paramedic found that Ruiz-Merlos was carrying a note saying his wife and Donald Trump should “burn” and asking his mother for forgiveness.

Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond.

This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Woman stabbed; estranged husband charged after suicide attempt."