Santa Clara man charged with murdering wife in domestic violence incident
SANTA CLARA – A Santa Clara man has been charged with murder after police said he killed his wife at their home earlier this week.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, police were called to a home on Valley Way around 11 a.m. Tuesday to perform a welfare check. When police arrived, an acquaintance of the suspect said he was concerned about the suspect and his wife.
The acquaintance told officers that he saw the suspect inside the home, "motionless on his knees, had his hands in the air and was staring blankly."
Police said the suspect refused to answer his phone or the door. Officers made their way into the home and took the suspect, 27-year-old Liren Chen, into custody.
In a bedroom, police found the victim dead on the floor, with what officers described as severe blunt force injuries to her head.
Authorities have not released the woman's name.
Officers said Chen's right hand was "extremely swollen and purple" and had blood on his clothing, legs, arms and hands, along with scratches on his arm.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement that 911 calls involving domestic violence have risen.
"Domestic violence deaths have been falling in our county but that does not measure the depth and destructiveness of the violence," Rosen said. "Anyone who feels that they or someone else is being abused by their partners, please reach out your local law enforcement agency. You are not alone. We can help."
Prosecutors said Chen remains hospitalized. An arraignment had been scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Police in Santa Clara are asking anyone with additional information about the case to contact Detective Sgt. Hagg by calling 408-615-4814.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are resources. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233 (TDD: 1-800-787-3224) and provides free and private help in more than 100 languages.
Additional resources can be found on the California Courts website.