A New Jersey man who was found dead this week is believed to have stabbed his wife and two children to death before taking his own life.

On Wednesday, a passerby discovered Eugenio Severino’s body in a wooded area near his Penns Grove apartment. NJ Advance Media reported that an inspection of his apartment uncovered the bodies of his wife, Ruth Reyes, 30, and their children, Eurianny Severino, 5, and Eury Severino, 2.

A preliminary report revealed that Eugenio Severino, 54, took his own life after fatally stabbing his wife and two young children inside their home, according to WPVI.

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Authorities confirmed to WCAU that Reyes had a temporary restraining order against Eugenio Severino at the time of the murder-suicide. According to a relative who spoke to the news outlet, Reyes reported to police that her husband had threatened to kill her, and the couple had been living apart for the past few weeks.

The news station and NJ Advance Media reported that the family had moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic two years earlier.

Investigators are in the process of determining when the apparent murder-suicide occurred.

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[Featured image: Ruth Reyes, Eugenio Severino, Eurianny Severino, and Eury Severino/WPVI]