HAYWARD — A 47-year-old man was charged Tuesday with murder in the apparent strangulation death of his wife at their home Sept. 23, according to authorities and court records.
Alvaro Sierra is charged with killing Tania Afanador, 47, inside their home in the 27000 block of Eucalyptus Court.
The couple was in the process of getting a divorce but were still living together and had gotten into an argument before the killing, according to court records. Authorities have not said what the argument was about.
Police were called to the residence by another family member who told a 911 dispatcher that something had happened inside the home.
Afanador was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the home. Final autopsy results are pending, but the preliminary finding was that she had injuries indicative of strangulation, court records say.
According to police, Sierra, who in jail records lists his occupation as warehouse manager, was also found at the home with self-inflicted lacerations.
He was taken to a hospital for treatment. After the preliminary autopsy results were known, he was arrested on suspicion of murder on Sept. 28 and booked at Santa Rita Jail.
He was being held without bail and was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.
It was not immediately known how long the couple had been married. Police did said the couple did not have any children in common.
In a news release announcing the filing of charges, Hayward Chief of Police Bryan Matthews said, “Domestic violence is a tragic and often unreported crime. We strongly encourage anyone in an abusive situation to reach out for help. We are here to provide protection and connect individuals with the resources and support they need.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to the homicide is asked to call Detective Niedenthal at 510-293-7176.
The death is the 12th homicide investigated by Hayward police this year.