Indiana police arrested a 45-year-old father for allegedly murdering his wife in front of their two young children during a car ride dispute.
According to an arrest affidavit, Mohammed Mondal is accused of fatally shooting his wife, 40-year-old Stacy Mondal, seven times in their vehicle on Monday while driving to a JCPenney store for a portrait session. Police say the couple’s their infant and toddler were in the car during the shooting.
Afterward, the defendant called 911 himself and allegedly confessed, Law&Crime reports.
Mondal now faces charges including murder, neglect, and using a firearm resulting in death. Officials took Mondal into custody the same day of the shooting.
Police found Mondal’s vehicle near the Ohio and Indiana border, en route to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. Deputies met the family in the hospital parking lot, where they noticed Stacy, with bloody clothing, “slumped to the left side towards the center console.”
“She had little to no signs of life,” the affidavit read. “There was a small black handgun on the passenger side floorboard near Stacy [Mohammed’s] feet.”
Fox19 reports that Mondal told the deputies that he had been arguing with his wife, resulting in her hitting him with a cellphone while inside the car. Mondal added that Stacy tried to grab a gun in the center console of the car, but he grabbed it before she could and started shooting at her.
Mondal also said that he had been having marital problems with the victim after she allegedly had an affair with two men. He said he also believed at least one of the men and his father-in-law had been following him.
“The children were fine,” the sheriff said. “They were remarkable, with a lack of a better term, unaffected. I was there by the vehicle and saw with my own eyes the child was still watching the video screen that was up, and the infant got a little bit fussy there for a bit cause he was hungry, and once we got him some food, he kind of calmed down.
“For something like that to occur, they’re such a young age, they’re not going to really understand what’s happening, but considering everybody knows gunshots in close quarters are very loud, and the kids were, kids were pretty resilient, and it was good to see that they were okay.”
Mondal remains behind bars without bail. He’s also not allowed to contact his children, who are now staying with their maternal grandmother.
Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured Photo: Mohammed Mondal/Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office; Stacy Mondal/Facebook]
