22.6.11

A Mother was shot to death by her estranged husband- 5 year old daughter witnessed

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After her Father Killed her mother, he killed himself, then the 5 year old child walked out of the house.

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Neighbors of a woman killed Sunday by her husband in an apparent murder-suicide described her as pleasant, saying she often walked through the neighborhood with the couple's 5-year-old daughter.

"She was nice and really sweet," Williams said.

Manika Mittal, 33, was shot to death about 2 p.m. by her estranged husband, Sandeep Mittal, at their home at 5660 Stone Crossing Drive in western Winston-Salem.

When police arrived, they found her dead at the front door.

Sandeep Mittal, 42, was still inside the house, with the couple's daughter. At some point during a nearly two-house standoff with police, he stabbed himself in his arm and neck with a knife, police Capt. David Clayton said. No shots were fired during the standoff.

After her father died, the child walked out of the house. Officers went inside and found Sandeep Mittal's body in a rear bathroom.

The Forsyth County Department of Social Services is caring for the girl, who apparently saw at least some of the incident, Clayton said.

Manika Mittal moved out of the house about two months ago, taking an apartment on Reynolda Road, police and Natasha Williams said. It was unclear why she moved.

Neighbors said they never saw or heard the couple arguing.

Before Sunday's incident, police had never been called to the couple's home, and the couple, both immigrants from India, had no history of domestic violence, Clayton said.

"She was quiet and mild-mannered," Usher said of Manika Mittal.

Sandeep Mittal was a computer software engineer. Manika Mittal also had a job, Clayton said. It was unclear Monday what she did.

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