Husband Arrested for Christmas Eve Murder in Mahopac
The husband of a slain Mahopac teen was arrested for the murder on Saturday, as police say the man strangled and then stabbed the Mahopac High School graduate to death following a domestic dispute. Paul Amay, 25, was arrested for second-degree murder on Christmas day, approximately 36 hours after the body of his 19-year-old wife, Graciela Zhingri Amay of 34 Agor Lane in Mahopac, was discovered by a Putnam County sheriff’s deputy, according joint a press release from the Carmel Police Department and Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Paul Amay, also known as Juan Loja, had become a person of interest shortly after his wife’s body was discovered by Sheriff’s Deputy Randel Hill at approximately 3 a.m. on Christmas Eve. A statewide broadcast was initiated to locate him, and he was found by Ossining police in a cab at approximately 4 p.m. Saturday, police said. He was detained and picked up by sheriff’s investigators. Investigation revealed Paul Amay, who police say is a citizen of Ecuador in the U.S. illegally, was apparently involved in a domestic dispute with the victim at the couple’s Mahopac home when he allegedly strangled his wife, dragged her body into the house and stabbed her in the chest several times with a knife, according to police. Police were asked to check on the victim’s home early Friday morning, and upon looking through the window Hill saw a female body lying on the floor, police said. He called for medical assistance and forced entry into the house. Zhingri Amay was pronounced dead at the scene by Putnam County Coroner Dr. Michael Nesheiwat. “This is a truly tragic case,” Sheriff Don Smith said in the press release. “A young mother and daughter, Mrs. Amay, was needlessly killed in cold blood. My heart goes out to her family and friends.” Paul Amay is being held at the Putnam County Correctional Facility without bail pending a Dec. 29 court appearance, police said.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.