Software Engineer's Wife Found Dead With Chemical Burns to Face. Suspect Allegedly Waited for Kids to Leave for School Before Attack By Samira Asma-Sadeque

Authorities in New York have arrested a 53-year-old man in connection with the brutal killing of his wife, who was found dead with chemical burns to her face.

Aleena Asif was found dead in her Long Island, N.Y. home on Oct. 17, the Nassau County Police Department confirms to PEOPLE. Her estranged husband, Asif Quereshi, has since been arrested in connection with her murder, police said.

Nassau County investigators tell PEOPLE the 46-year-old mother of three was in the process of filing for divorce from Quereshi. On the day of the incident, he allegedly broke into her home and waited for their children to leave for school before attacking her, they said.

Her body was discovered later that afternoon after her 18-year-old called police to report her 7-year-old hadn’t been picked up as planned, investigators confirm to PEOPLE.

Officials responding to the residence found Asif, who detectives confirm died from asphyxiation by an unknown chemical substance.   

The gruesome nature of the killing has shaken the local community and the victim’s family.

“She was a very beautiful human being and very hard working,” a family member, who is not named, told CBS News. “She didn’t deserve this kind of death.”

Authorities allege the couple had a volatile marriage, and that Quereshi had exhibited “a pattern of stalking” in the build-up to the murder, the outlet reported.

“He refused to accept those divorce papers and started showing up at her house,” Detective Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said.

Asif had notified police on four occasions that she was worried for her safety, Fitzpatrick said, adding that Quereshi had allegedly threatened to make her swallow bleach.

Nassau police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for follow-up information about the stalking allegation.

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The suspect, who CBS News reports is an unemployed software engineer, has been charged with second-degree murder, according to online court records reviewed by PEOPLE.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, the records show. An attorney listed for him did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comments.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.