Mohammed Mondal (Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office)
A 45-year-old father in Indiana was arrested for allegedly killing his 40-year-old wife, shooting her seven times in front of their two young children during an argument.
Mohammed Mondal was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of murder and two counts of neglect of a dependent in the slaying of Stacy Mondal, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Mohammed Mondal was also charged with one count of using a firearm in the commission of an offense resulting in serious bodily injury or death.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the fatal shooting took place in the couple’s vehicle while their children, ages 2 months and 14 months, were in the backseat. The family was on their way to J.C. Penny for photos on Monday when the argument started, and a short while later, Mohammed Mondal called 911 to report he shot his wife.
“Sgt. McAllister said he answered the phone, and by the tone of Mondal’s voice, he seemed to be panicked and upset. [Mohammed] Mondal first stated that he had accidentally shot his wife. [Mohammed] Mondal then stated that he had shot his wife (Stacy Mondal) and that he did it in self-defense.”
The sergeant responded to Mohammed Mondal’s statements by saying, “Are you serious?” and then asked where he was.
Deputies responded to Mohammed Mondale’s call about the shooting, catching up with his vehicle near the border between Ohio and Indiana and following it to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. When the family arrived at the hospital, deputies met them in the parking lot and saw his wife “slumped to the left side towards the center console” with blood covering her clothing.
“She had little to no signs of life,” the affidavit states. “There was a small black handgun on the passenger side floorboard near Stacy [Mohammed’s] feet.”
Outside of the hospital, Mohammed Mondale spoke to detectives and inquired about the condition of his wife. He said it was “self-defense and that Stacy [Mondal] was going for his gun.” She was pronounced dead at 12:11 p.m. that day.
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Mohammed Mondal claimed he and his wife had been having “marital problems” over the last few years, authorities alleged.
“He stated that he believed she had an affair with a neighbor. After leaving to go to the photo appointment, he said that he and Stacy began arguing, and she struck him with her cellphone. Mondal then stated that she dropped the cellphone and reached for a gun that was lying in the open center console,” the affidavit states. “Mondal then stated that he reached for a gun on his person and shot Stacy.”
There was a break in the interview, and when Mohammed Mondal returned, the detectives informed him that his wife had died. He then stated “for the first time” that “Stacy [Mondal] pointed the gun at him before he shot her.”
“In the course of the investigation, Detectives learned that Mondal believed that at least two men in his neighborhood previously had an affair with Stacy and that at least one of them had been following him,” the affidavit states. “Mondal also believed that his father-in-law was following him on the day of the shooting.”
Investigators said they were unable to verify his claims of his wife’s infidelity. There was also no evidence his wife fired a single shot during the argument.
In a final interview with detectives, Mohammed Mondal again claimed his wife was reaching for a gun when he fired the seven shots, saying he needed to “neutralize the threat.” He said, “I’m not the bad guy,” the affidavit said.
In a statement to WLWT, Stacy Mondal’s family said she was dedicated to her five beautiful children.
“On Nov. 6, we tragically lost our beloved Stacy,” the statement said. “Our focus now and moving forward is to love and support those children. We are being comforted by family, friends and the outpouring of compassion by our community. Stacy’s spirit will continue to live on.”
Mohammed Mondal is being held at the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center and made his initial court appearance on Thursday.
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