Sylvania man is charged in wife's slaying at home

Crime scene Detective Chad Culpert, front, and police Detective Ervin Bratt leave the crime scene on Littlefield Court. Anaya Enlarge

Anaya Enlarge

A 42-year-old Sylvania woman was killed yesterday in her home while three of her four children huddled in an upstairs bedroom and frantically called police, authorities said.

The woman's husband met police at the front door after the 911 call placed at 3:06 a.m. He was taken into custody and was charged with aggravated murder, Sylvania Detective Mike Yunker.

The body of Rhonda Anaya was found on the kitchen floor of the two-story house at 8034 Littlefield Ct. in northwest Sylvania.

Mrs. Anaya suffered stab wounds, but an autopsy is scheduled for today to determine the exact cause of death. A knife, which may be the murder weapon, was found at the scene, Dr. James Patrick, Lucas County coroner, said.

Mrs. Anaya's husband, Danny Anaya, 54, was being held last night in the Lucas County jail. He will be arraigned today in Sylvania Municipal Court.

The children, Angelique, 18, Danyelle, 16, Devin, 15, in addition to their brother, Drake, 14, who was not home at the time of the slaying, are staying with relatives, according to a family friend.

Detective Mike Yunker said there were signs of a struggle in the home.

He said police were called to the house in the past for disturbances. Sylvania police reports indicate they went to the home five times between May 13 and Aug. 1: twice each for domestic violence and to keep the peace and once for a problem between Mr. Anaya and his oldest daugh-ter. There is no record of Mr. Anaya being charged in Sylvania Municipal Court for domestic violence or any related offenses.

Mrs. Anaya filed for divorce in Lucas County Domestic Relations Court in July, and later that month an order was issued prohibiting Mr. Anaya from abusing or harassing any of the children.

Mr. Anaya left an obscenity-laced voice message on Sept. 19 saying that everybody deserves a second chance and that he didn't want the previous months to cause a breakup of the family, according to domestic relations court records.

A transcript of the message doesn't indicate that it was meant for any particular member of the family.

Nicholas Hetzer, the attorney for Mrs. Anaya in the divorce action, said he was dealing with family members yesterday and had no comment on the proceedings in domestic relations court or on the slaying.

According to records in court, Mr. Anaya, who works for General Motors, was paid more than $80,000 last year; Mrs. Anaya, a nurse employed at a hospital in the Detroit area, had an income of $107,000.