Ayer Woman Pleads Guilty in Fatal Stabbing 

AYER – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Ayer Chief of Police William Murray have announced that Laqwanda Villaronga, 27, of Ayer pled guilty on Friday January 3, 2020 in Lowell Superior Court to charges of voluntary manslaughter and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the September 28, 2018 stabbing of Jonathan Merritt, 24 of Ayer. Judge Kathe Tuttman sentenced Villaronga to 8 to 10 years state prison, 5 years’ probation with the condition that she wear a GPS monitoring device, attend anger management, not consume any drugs, submit to random screens, undergo a mental health evaluation, attend parenting class, maintain or actively seek employment or an educational program and serve 100 hours of community service to start within two weeks of her release to be suspended if she obtains a job or equivalent educational program.

On September 28, 2018, at approximately 1:18 p.m. Ayer Police responded to a 911 call of a stabbing on Groton School Road in Ayer. Upon arrival, police located Mr. Merritt with a stab wound to the chest. He was transported to Nashoba Valley Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. The investigation revealed Mr. Merritt and his cousin Laqwanda Villaronga were engaged in a mutual argument during the incident the victim suffered a stab wound to his chest inflicted by Villaronga with a kitchen knife. Ayer Police detained Villaronga at the scene upon arrival.

The investigation on this case was conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Ayer Police, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

The prosecutor assigned to this case is Suzanne Wiseman. The Victim Witness Advocate is Dora Quiroz. The police investigator assigned to this case was Ayer Detective Kellie Barhight.