A 36-year-old Flatbush woman accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend during a domestic dispute told investigators she still loves him and would take him back if she could. Jennifer Ayala allegedly stabbed 36-year-old Pedersin Pelissier with a kitchen knife at about 6:50 a.m. on Sept. 19 inside her home on Linden Boulevard near New York Avenue, and now faces manslaughter and weapon possession charges.
Ayala told police she stabbed Pelissier because he would not stop beating her, and that he had been hitting her for three years, according to the New York Daily News. She reportedly told investigators, “I don't want him in jail. I love him. I'm always going to take him back.” A neighbor separately recalled her screaming after the stabbing, “I love him so much. He hit me! Help me! Help me!” according to a separate Daily News report.
Pelissier was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he could not be saved, the outlet reported. Accounts of his injuries differ: the Daily News reported he was stabbed twice in the chest, while PIX11 described authorities finding him bleeding from two stab wounds, and amNewYork reported he had multiple stab wounds to the chest and that Ayala was found begging for him to be revived.
A Pattern of Prior Domestic Violence Arrests
The Daily News reported that Pelissier had been arrested six times in domestic-violence incidents involving Ayala dating back to May 2025. Four cases were sealed, and two were dismissed after Ayala declined to proceed with prosecution, the outlet reported.
Among the allegations described by the Daily News, Pelissier was accused of punching Ayala in the forehead. In a separate case, he was charged with violating an order of protection by appearing at her door, slapping and kicking her, and spitting at an arresting officer. The outlet also reported that neighbors often heard the couple fighting and that Ayala told police she did not believe officers would help her.
Ayala was taken into custody at the scene and charged the next day, then arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Sept. 20, according to the Daily News. The outlet reported that she was released on bail the following Tuesday.
Family Points to Mental Health Struggles
Ayala’s younger brother told the Daily News that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and manic depression and that her mental health struggles may have contributed to the alleged killing. The outlet also quoted attorney and former Manhattan assistant district attorney Matthew Galluzzo, who said domestic-violence victims may become dependent on abusers for financial, emotional, psychological or child-care reasons. Galluzzo said Ayala may have been psychologically injured by the abuse she described.
How Brooklyn Prosecutors Handle These Cases
Cases can be difficult to prosecute when victims do not cooperate. New York City’s five district attorneys declined to prosecute 938 domestic-violence cases in 2025 because victims failed to cooperate, the Daily News reported.
The Brooklyn District Attorney's Domestic Violence Bureau says it has more than 50 assistant district attorneys who investigate and prosecute more than 10,000 intimate-partner-violence cases every year, with charges ranging from misdemeanor assault and criminal obstruction of breathing up to homicide. The bureau also says Brooklyn's Family Justice Center offers survivors counseling, civil legal assistance, housing and benefits help, economic empowerment programs, and children's programming.
Citywide figures and Brooklyn survivor services
[b13] [b13] According to NYC’s Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, New York City recorded 66 domestic-violence homicides in 2024, including 33 intimate-partner homicides and 33 family homicides. In Brooklyn alone, there were 11 intimate-partner homicides and 10 family homicides.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office describes the Brooklyn Family Justice Center as a one-stop center bringing together lawyers, police, dedicated domestic-violence prosecutors, counselors, clergy and other providers. Its description does not specify whether services are confidential or whether a police complaint is required.
New Yorkers seeking a protective order can get one issued by a judge to guard against someone who is abusing, harassing, threatening or intimidating them, according to the NYPD. The department also points survivors to NYC's Hope hotline at 1-800-621-4673, a free, confidential service available around the clock, with an option to chat online with an advocate, per the NYPD's domestic violence resources page.
