Derek Callahan

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Jul 8, 2026, 2:31 PM

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Updated

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A Perth Amboy man was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in state prison for fatally stabbing his wife in front of their children.

Superior Court Judge Andrea Carter sentenced Wellinton Leonardo after he was convicted in the 2024 killing of his wife, Rosana Rodriguez.

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Leonardo was arrested after authorities responded to the couple's Perth Amboy home in September 2024 and found Rodriguez dead from multiple stab wounds. During a detention hearing shortly after his arrest, prosecutors said one of the couple's children called 911 and told the dispatcher, "My dad is trying to stab my mom."

A Middlesex County Superior Court judge previously ordered Leonardo held without release pending trial after finding the state had established probable cause and that he posed a risk to public safety.

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On Wednesday, Judge Carter sentenced Leonardo to 20 years in prison, concluding the case following his conviction.