Man stabbed girlfriend to death, took their kids, cops say

DUMONT — A man who fatally stabbed his girlfriend inside their apartment was captured after he was found walking with the couple’s two young children in a nearby town, authorities said.

Jeffrey Daniels, 36, was charged with murder, child endangerment and weapons offenses in the death of Michelle Burns, 36. Her body was found early Tuesday by police who had responded to reports that the oldest of her three children was wandering around the apartment complex in Dumont.

Officers found the 5-year-old child safe but alone in a courtyard at the Knickerbocker Road complex. A relative of Burns then reported hearing an argument inside the couple's apartment, adding that Burns wasn’t answering her phone.

Officers entered the apartment and found Burns' body. She had been stabbed in the neck with a kitchen knife, authorities said.

Daniels was soon found walking in nearby Closter with the couple's two younger children, an infant and an 18-month-old who were unharmed, authorities said. He was taken into custody and then charged later Tuesday, and it wasn't clear if he has retained an attorney.

Authorities have not said if Daniels is also the father of the 5-year-old child or why the child was left behind.

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