Edison, NJ – Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Thomas Bryan of the Edison Police Department announced that Joan Franklin Polanco, 37, of Edison, has been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing that occurred in Edison on Sunday.
On Sunday, at approximately 4:37 p.m., the Edison Police Department received a 911 call reporting a stabbing on Horizon Drive. Upon arrival, officers found Lizbeth Benitez-Rivera, 37, of Edison, with multiple stab wounds. Benitez-Rivera was pronounced deceased at the scene.
An investigation led by Detective Clint Hetzell of the Edison Police Department and Detective Javier Morillo of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined that Benitez-Rivera’s son was asleep in his room. Upon waking up later in the afternoon, he found his mother deceased with multiple stab wounds. The investigation revealed that Joan Franklin Polanco was seen entering the bedroom with a knife and leaving the residence shortly after the incident.
Hours later, Polanco was located and detained by the New York City Police Department. Polanco was charged with first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Hetzell of the Edison Police Department at 732-248-7400 or Detective Morillo of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-8843.
