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David Pena, 51, of Fresno, Calif., Is charged with killing his ex-wife in November 2016.
A California man accused of stabbing his wife deadly and then driving with his corpse in his car, says it was his last wish that the suspect cleans up the crime scene, said his lawyer to a jury in Fresno on April 18th Wednesday.
"I love you, please do not let my son see me that way," said 50-year-old Martha Mendiola, who took a knife in her back, to the suspect, 51-year-old David Pena. while he rocked her in his arms. Lawyer David Mugridge told the jurors in his opening address the murder suit for Pena, reported the Bee Fresno.
According to Mugridge, Pena reportedly found Mendiola dying in her home after being attacked, possibly by an intruder, on November 29, 2016 – 10 days after the couple's separation, reported Fresno's KFSN-TV channel.
Pena cleaned up the crime scene and placed Mendiola's body inside his car in order to fulfill his last wish, the lawyer said.
A police officer from California Road stated that he had discovered bloodstains at home and evidence of an attempt to clean up the crime scene with water from javel, reported KFSN-TV.
But Attorney Nathan Lambert told the jury a different story. He said that Pena was angry at Mendiola when he snuck into her home and stabbed her in the back with a large knife that pierced her lung, reported the Bee.
Lambert said Pena had made the bed of her ex-wife and had taken her purse and cellphone to make her son believe that she had gone to work, the newspaper reported.
Pena then bypassed Fresno with Mendiola's car, the newspaper said. The CHP officer then found his body tied up under a tarpaulin in the back seat of the vehicle, reported the station. His arms and legs had been forced to help place the body in the backseat, Lambert said.
The officer arrested Pena after finding his cell phone, according to the report. he also found Pena's bloody clothes and knife.
Video surveillance cameras captured Pena at a store buying cigarettes and at Walmart buying a tarpaulin, according to The Bee.
Pena incurs a minimum of 16 years in jail for life if he is convicted of murder, the report says.
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