Man charged with killing estranged wife using chemical substance at Long Island home.

A 53-year-old man from Queens has been arrested and charged with the murder of his estranged wife, who authorities say was asphyxiated with an unidentified chemical substance in her Long Island residence. According to Nassau County police, Asif Qureshi was taken into custody following the tragic incident on October 17, in the hamlet of Herricks.

Qureshi is alleged to have killed his 46-year-old wife, Aleena Asif, approximately one week after she served him divorce papers. Emergency responders were dispatched to a home on Larch Drive shortly before 4 p.m. on the day of the incident when Asif’s eldest daughter, 18, became concerned after her mother failed to pick up her younger sister from school. Upon arrival, police discovered Aleena Asif unconscious and exhibiting severe facial burns. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and the county medical examiner later classified the death as a criminal homicide due to asphyxiation from an unknown chemical substance.

Asif lived in the Herricks home with three children aged 18, 14, and 7. It is currently unclear whether Qureshi is the biological father of the children. Reports indicate that the relationship between Qureshi and Asif had been fraught with conflict, particularly over financial matters. After their separation was agreed upon late last year, Aleena Asif had formally initiated divorce proceedings and served Qureshi the papers on October 9. Reports suggested that he had refused to acknowledge the divorce and had begun stalking her shortly thereafter.

Authorities allege that on the day of the incident, Qureshi entered Asif’s home after she dropped off the children at school, ultimately leading to her death. The police are reportedly enhancing their investigation, as they have documented multiple prior incidents of domestic violence involving Qureshi, which include a previous arrest related to domestic issues with his wife and several other reported incidents within the last two years.

Qureshi was apprehended on October 23 in Bellerose, Queens, where he had been residing in a rented room. He has since been arraigned in Nassau County District Court facing a second-degree murder charge and is currently being held without bail. Prosecutors plan to present the case to a grand jury, seeking a potential indictment for first-degree murder, as investigations continue into the harrowing circumstances surrounding this case.