Man beat wife over missing ricotta

Spouse later found dead in driveway

By Ira Kantor and Laura Crimaldi
Thursday, November 11, 2010

A Chelsea man beat his wife over a missing ingredient for the lasagna he was making during “Monday Night Football” hours before she was found dead in their driveway, authorities said.

Frederick Wilkes, 54, lashed out at Theresa Kenna Wilkes, 50, after he discovered beans inside a ricotta cheese container in their fridge, said Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney’s office.

“He threw the container of beans at her and they became involved in an altercation,” Wark said.

Wilkes — a father of two who had been married for 28 years — pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault and battery yesterday and is being held on $15,000 bail. He is not charged with murder.

The fight began around 8 p.m. when the couple and Fred Wilkes’ buddy, Mario Donnarumma, went to the kitchen to prepare dinner before the Steelers-Bengals game, according to court papers. All three had been drinking for hours, and when Wilkes found the leftover beans, the argument began, Donnarumma told cops.

Theresa Wilkes hit her husband several times, and he hit her “three times on the side of her head with either an open or closed fist,” said Donnarumma, a homeless man who had been staying with the couple.

Donnarumma said he offered to go to the store to purchase ricotta cheese but was unsuccessful, and returned only with beer and vodka. Wilkes became upset again, and his wife, who was sitting on a couch, suddenly found herself covered in beans, Donnarumma said.

The couple fought again, prompting Wilkes to say, “You’re done ... get out,” while grabbing his wife and dragging her out of the apartment, Donnarumma told police. He also pushed the bean-splattered couch outside.

Sometime later, Wilkes “engaged in a loud argument” with his wife outside, court papers indicate, before re-entering the apartment and locking the door.

Donnarumma told cops Wilkes opened the door once more to toss his wife’s purse outside, adding he did not see Wilkes leave the apartment again until both were woken by police the next morning.

The lifeless body of Theresa Wilkes was found barefoot in her driveway around 6 a.m. Tuesday, cops said, adding she appeared to have scrape marks and blood on her face.

Wilkes, who initially denied fighting with his wife, eventually “admitted to pouring beans over Theresa, grabbing her by the shirt and forcibly throwing her out of the apartment,” police said.

A cause of death has yet to be determined pending autopsy results.

Messages left for Wilkes’ attorney, Aviva Jeruchim, were not returned.

From: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20101111cops_man_beat_wife_over_missing_ricotta_spouse_later_found_dead_in_driveway/