Police: Slain N.E. Phila. woman was beaten, choked, burned

A man has been arrested and charged with killing his wife during a dispute in their home in Northeast Philadelphia, police said this morning.

Investigators said there were signs the woman had been beaten with a shovel handle, burned and choked during a rageful attack apparently sparked by infidelity.

Homicide detectives are awaiting the results of an autopsy for the exact cause of death of Shakuntla Guru, 42.

Police were summoned to her home on the 10800 block of Gifford Street in Somerton about 9:30 a.m. yesterday after receiving a report of someone screaming inside.

Officers found the victim on the living room floor with what appeared to be burns to the face, police said. They also recovered a shovel handle and noted signs of manual strangulation.

Police arrested her husband, Ashok Kumar Guru, 53, and charged him with murder.