Suspect in Pregnant Woman's Slaying Turns Self In

Usually, the police have to search for suspects, but Sunday it was the other way around in Norwalk when a Massachusetts murder suspect turned himself in.

A Norwalk police officer was leaving police headquarters when Peter Ronchi, 46, who was being sought in the death of his pregnant girlfriend hours earlier in Salem walked up and turned himself in, police said.

Ronchi, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, turned himself just after 4 p.m., about nine hours after police in Salem, Massachusetts found his slain girlfriend, Yuliya Gasparina, 42, in her apartment.

Salem police received a 911 call after 7 a.m. Sunday and found Gasparina dead. Her unborn child also died, police said. They promptly named Ronchi as a person of interest. Salem police had sought a murder warrant for him, said Salem police Capt. Paul Tucker told the Boston Herald.

Police did not say how Gasparina was killed but did say her two young children were in the area at the time she was killed.

The Department of Children and Families they took custody of Gasparina's 3-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son.

It is unknown if Ronchi is the father of those children.

No one answered the door at Ronchi's Marblehead, Massachusetts home. Neighbor Margie Slattery-Sumner was surprised to hear about the charges.

"He's just a very quiet nice man, doesn't seem like the kind of person would do this, if he did," she said. 

Ronchi is due in court here in Connecticut to face the fugitive from justice charge. He will face a judge in Massachusetts to answer to the murder charge.

Police are considering whether they will charge Ronchi with the murder of Gasparina's unborn child as well.

Contact Us