Dartmouth man charged with murder for stabbing New Bedford court clerk

NEW BEDFORD – A 31-year-old Dartmouth man has been remanded in custody without bail for allegedly stabbing a woman who worked at New Bedford District Court, where he was arraigned Monday.

Tyler Dow Baglini is accused of stabbing 31-year-old Kerri Fidalgo to death at her New Bedford residence on Friday, September 20, and is charged with murder.

His mental competency is being evaluated at Bridgewater State Hospital. He will return to court for a hearing on October 11.

Family members, friends and colleagues – many dressed in black – filled the courtroom in New Bedford on Monday. Fidalgo was an employee of the Probation Division of New Bedford District Court.

People in the audience could be heard crying. The voice of the bailiff who read the charges against Baglini seemed to tremble with excitement.

A probation officer from another county said outside staff helped out at New Bedford District Court on Monday.

He said family members gathered at her desk on Monday after being shown where Fidalgo had worked. It was very difficult, he said.

Fatal stabbing: Dartmouth man charged with stabbing murder of New Bedford woman

According to police, Baglini went to St. Luke's Hospital to report a stabbing

Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Dennis Collins said Baglini went to St. Luke's Hospital after allegedly stabbing Fidalgo and brought with him a kitchen knife that is believed to be the murder weapon.

According to the police report, New Bedford police were called by St. Luke's Hospital staff at 4:52 p.m. Friday afternoon. They said Baglini was there claiming his girlfriend had been stabbed to death in their apartment at 86 Atlantic Street. She lived with her parents and sister at 84-86 Atlantic Street.

Police went to the residence but were told everything was fine until a shocked family member found Fidalgo's body in their apartment, stabbed numerous times and dressed in a gray T-shirt.

She was taken to St. Luke's where she was pronounced dead.

Police: Baglini claims serial killers committed the murder

Baglini was initially held at St. Luke's for observation. According to the police report, he is also charged with assault on a police officer for allegedly kicking a hospital security guard in the chest and neck area.

He caused unrest, screamed and refused to take medication in the hospital, the report said.

The knife he brought with him was believed to be stained with blood. According to the report, he told police that serial killers had killed his girlfriend.

According to the police report, he also said that a serial killer wanted to kill him and that he ran to the hospital after seeing another serial killer.

According to the report, police found small spots of a substance on his face that looked like dried blood.

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Psychologist: Baglini’s mental fitness is being assessed

Baglini was subsequently examined by a psychologist who decided that further investigation was necessary.

The court followed the condition of defense attorney Michael Hussey that the current assessment should primarily concern his mental capacity, but not his criminal responsibility.

During the course of the investigation, police learned that Fidalgo reportedly did not usually return home from her job at the courthouse until after 4:30 p.m. After that, she would change clothes and go with her father to work as a janitor at a housing management company.

A family member said Fidalgo and Baglini were acquaintances who went to high school together.

The family member said Baglini started talking to her again after he was recently released from prison.

Fidalgo urged Baglini to seek help and take his medication

The family member said Fidalgo was not happy to care for, clothe and feed Baglini after his release, and he was prone to getting angry and yelling when Fidalgo did not give him enough attention, the police report said. The report also says a co-worker thought they were together after his release.

According to the report, police read text messages on Fidalgo's phone from Thursday, September 19, to Friday, September 20, in which Baglini appeared paranoid and threatened suicide.

Fidalgo states in the message history that Baglini was paranoid and hyper-focused and that she was trying to talk him into it, the report said.

She told him he needed to get help and take his medication. She said she would visit him at the hospital, as she had in the past, the report said.

Fidalgo said she was afraid of Baglini

Her last message was sent Friday morning and read: “Tyler, we can talk later. After you get checked out. You need help. You need to get better. You're having a seizure and you're paranoid. Everything is going to be OK, but you need help. I love you. I care about you. Please.”

According to the police report, he replied, “Goodbye, I really loved you and I forgive you. Time to go to hell. You were the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Later that day, at 3:41 p.m., Baglini reportedly sent her a photo of a kitchen knife that appeared to be the same knife he brought to St. Luke's.

Fidalgo also texted Baglini's mother Friday morning saying she was afraid of him. Fidalgo was told Baglini was in the hospital and to ignore him, the police report said.

According to police, Baglini entered St. Luke's at around 12:39 p.m. on Friday but left at 12:52 p.m.

He returned to St. Luke's around 4:48 p.m. and said Fidalgo had been stabbed, the police report said.

This article originally appeared in the Standard-Times: Dartmouth man charged with murder in New Bedford stabbing