Wailuku man charged in Super Bowl stabbing told to stay away from wife
WAILUKU — A man charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing his wife during a Super Bowl party was ordered to have no contact with her, as he was arraigned Thursday. Ricardo “Rico” Tavares Jr., 40, of Wailuku pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder.
He allegedly used a 12-inch kitchen knife to slash and stab his 41-year-old wife at least seven times in the bathroom of their house after they got into an argument during a Super Bowl party at the home Feb. 7, Deputy Prosecutor Brandon Segal said during Tavares’ initial appearance last week in Wailuku District Court.
He said the woman’s 76year-old father and 10-yearold daughter were among the witnesses.
Tavares’ wife suffered a lifethreatening stab wound to her head that penetrated into her brain, Segal said. She underwent surgery at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
On Feb. 12, a Maui County grand jury indicted Tavares on the attempted murder charge.
Tavares, who is being held without bail, appeared by videoconference from the Maui Community Correctional Center in 2nd Circuit Court.
Even after Tavares had been ordered to have no contact with his wife, she reported receiving calls and text messages from Mainland phone numbers telling her “Ricardo sends her love,” Segal said in court Thursday.
He said she also reported that family members had tried to contact her minor children without her permission to arrange contact with Tavares.
“The state is very concerned that the defendant or his family on his behalf is trying to violate this order,” Segal said.
Judge Peter Cahill ordered Tavares to have no contact with his wife and three minor children and not to make contact with them through family and friends.
A bail hearing was set for March 9.