NEED TO KNOW
- Robert Heyden was allegedly found screaming and locked inside a bedroom by authorities last week
- His wife Chuanying He has been arrested in connection with the attack on him
- Heyden and He were reportedly in the middle of divorce proceedings
A Florida man has died days after he was found screaming, locked in a room and doused in acid — allegedly by his wife who police claim called 911 to report the incident.
The victim, Robert Heyden, was attacked in a New Port Richey, Fla. residence last week, the New Port Richey Police Department said in a statement to PEOPLE.
Police did not name the victim in their statement, but he was identified by the Tampa Bay Times.
Chuanying He was arrested in connection with Heyden’s killing, per police.
On Thursday, Aug. 21, New Port Richey police were alerted about a domestic disturbance and, upon responding to the location, found an adult male suffering from “severe injuries from a corrosive substance,” they said in their statement.
He was transported to a medical facility in nearby Tampa, but died early on Sunday morning, per authorities.
The officer responding to the incident alleged in an arrest affidavit that He had locked Heyden in the bedroom with a wooden bar and wire attached to the door lock, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Heyden could be heard screaming inside the locked room when officers arrived, per WFLA, which cited investigators’ account.
Investigators determined the incident was “intentional in nature,” per their statement, and arrested He.
Police claim that He, who was identified by WFLA and the Tampa Bay Times as Heyden’s wife, told them she had tried to kill him.
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He and Heyden married just a year ago in August 2024, but were undergoing divorce proceedings at the time of the killing, according to court records cited by the Tampa Bay Times.
He is being held on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated battery resulting in serious bodily injury, police said. It wasn’t immediately clear if she has entered pleas or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.
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.
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