VIRGINIA BEACH — A 29-year-old man accused of attacking and killing the mother of his child on Valentine’s Day was arraigned in Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Tuesday.
Joseph Vincent Merlino III, of the 1200 block of Warner Hall Drive, was charged with second-degree murder on Feb. 16 in connection to the death of 35-year-old Ellie Mizon Tran.
Police have reported that the couple were married and estranged, but Tran’s family said they dated and broke up in the spring of 2016.
The Tidewater Chief Medical Examiner’s office is working to determine what killed Tran, but police believe Merlino “touched her in a manner that caused her to be ill,” said Virginia Beach Master Police Officer Tonya Pierce.
When she was attacked around 8 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, she was able to call 911, but her family said she quickly became so sick that she couldn’t speak, lost consciousness and needed a breathing tube.
She died in Sentara Princess Anne Hospital on Feb. 15.
The couple have a 2-year-old daughter, Jolie. When Tran died, they were in the middle of a custody battle and were scheduled to appear in court in March, said Oanh Le, Tran’s mother.
Merlino has hired Richard H. Doummar to represent him. He is scheduled for a bond hearing in JDR court on Wednesday.
Mayfield can be reached at [email protected].
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