Thread: Strangling suspect described as ‘abusive,’ ‘frustrated’

http://www.gjsentinel.com

Strangling suspect described as ‘abusive,’ ‘frustrated’

By By EMILY MORRIS The Daily Sentinel

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

The murder trial for Hector Zambrano began Wednesday with prosecutors describing him as a controlling and abusive husband, while the defense counsel portrayed him as a frustrated man who had been manipulated by a scheming woman.

Zambrano is suspected of strangling his wife, Patricia Reyes, at his home at 2853 Elm Circle, No. 1, in the early morning hours of April 10, 2004.

He was legally restrained from being near Reyes after he was accused of assaulting her in February, causing bruises and a torn ligament in her leg, Mesa County Chief Deputy District Attorney Tammy Eret said.

According to what Reyes told the doctor, Zambrano assaulted her after he suspected her of using the telephone without his permission, Eret said.

After the incident Zambrano became increasingly angry with Reyes, Eret said.

The week before her death he tried to buy a gun through a co-worker, and he told someone, “He was going to make sure she (Reyes) didn’t testify against him ... even if he had to kill her,” Eret said.

On the night before her death, Reyes and Zambrano saw each other at a local bar where they drank and were friendly before they were seen leaving together in her van, Eret said.

Zambrano called police just before noon the next day to report his wife was dead, according to an arrest affidavit.

When police arrived, they found Reyes lying on the bed with her arms raised above her head, a scratch on her throat and two broken fingernails, Eret said.

When interviewed by police, Zambrano changed his story several times about what he had been doing the night before Reyes’ death, according to the arrest affidavit.

He said he had gotten a ride home. Then he said he walked, and Reyes showed up at his apartment late that night, Grand Junction Police Department officer Augustine Apolinar Jr. said.

Zambrano also said Reyes showed him some pills that she intended to take, and he then left the apartment to sleep in the car, Apolinar said.

When he woke up the next morning he went inside, saw Reyes and called 911, Apolinar said.

Mesa County’s Chief Deputy Coroner Dean Havlik testified there were no drugs or alcohol in Reyes’ blood, meaning she was alive for several hours after leaving the bar, allowing time for her body to digest the alcohol.

Defense attorney Steve Laiche does not deny Zambrano killed his wife, but he said Zambrano is not guilty of premeditated murder.

“Hector accepts culpability for what he did ... he doesn’t accept culpability for first-degree murder,” Laiche said.

Zambrano was upset about Reyes seeing other men, which led to a fight in which he grabbed her by the throat, Laiche said.

Reyes had married a man when she lived in Mexico and had eight children with him. She moved to the United States with her four oldest children, never divorcing the husband in Mexico, according to arguments made during the pretrial conference.

District Court Judge Amanda Bailey told Laiche he could not introduce Reyes’ past marital history in trial.

Laiche avoided that technicality by describing Reyes’ marriage as a “relationship,” and he told the jury Reyes married Zambrano to stay in the United States without ending her previous relationship.

The father of Reyes’ children visited the United States for a few months, Laiche said. Reyes lived with him while continuing to see Zambrano, until the first man became fed up and moved back to Mexico, Laiche said.

Reyes moved in with Zambrano again, but she left after he assaulted her in February, Laiche said. She continued to carry on a relationship with him, however, keeping it a secret from her children, Laiche said.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,” Laiche said. “In this case, secrets about another man .... what (Reyes) was doing in her other life.”

The night they fought, Zambrano snapped, Laiche said.

“Everything is weighing on Hector ... during the fight Hector put one hand on her throat until he thought she had passed out ... then he gets into the bed and sleeps with her,” Laiche said.

“It’s not an excuse, but it’s a reason.”


Emily Morris can be reached via e-mail at emorris@gjds.com.

http://www.gjsentinel.com

Son denies knowing of murder

Thursday, March 09, 2006

By EMILY MORRIS

The Daily Sentinel


Hector Zambrano’s 19-year-old son reluctantly testified on behalf of the prosecution during his father’s murder trial Thursday.

Zambrano is suspected of strangling his wife, Patricia Reyes, at his home at 2853 Elm Circle, No. 1, in the early morning hours of April 10, 2004.

Zambrano was legally restrained from being near Reyes after he was accused of assaulting her in February of that year, causing injuries to her.

However, Zambrano’s son Santos Zambrano testified Thursday that Reyes called his father soon after the February 2004 incident and the two continued to have a relationship.

Santos told the court he was reluctant to testify and hoped his father would be found innocent. He had to be reminded several times of statements he gave to police, and he said it was difficult to remember conversations and events two years later.

The day of the murder, before Zambrano called police to report Reyes’ death, he gave his son his watch, wallet, a necklace and his wedding ring, telling his son he had done something wrong and would be going away for a long time, according to Santos’ statements to police.

When interviewed by police, Santos had been reluctant to tell them about the conversation, but seemed to know someone had been murdered, according to police reports read in court Thursday.

“How did you know a murder had occurred?” Mesa County District Attorney Pete Hautzinger asked. “Is it true your father told you that day that he had choked his wife?”

Santos said he had no idea his father had committed a murder. He testified his father and Reyes appeared happy and in love.

Zambrano’s attorneys agree with prosecutors that Zambrano killed Reyes, but they say he acted in a rage after months of provocation by a manipulative woman who had married him to gain legal status in the country, and he is not guilty of first-degree murder.

Reyes had married a man in Mexico and had eight children with him.

She moved to the United States with her four oldest children, never divorcing the husband in Mexico, according to arguments made during the pretrial conference.

According to testimony by Nora Coon, a friend of the couple, Reyes kept her marriage to Zambrano a secret from her children.

Defense attorney Steve Laiche tried repeatedly to get Coon to testify about Reyes’ husband in Mexico and about Reyes’ efforts to obtain residency through her marriage to Zambrano.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Tammy Eret made numerous objections on the grounds that it was hearsay evidence, and none of it was admitted.

During a pretrial conference, District Court Judge Amanda Bailey told Laiche he could not introduce Reyes’ past marital history in trial.

Laiche told Bailey his intent was to establish that Reyes, an illegal immigrant, had married Zambrano to get legal immigration status.

He ran into a problem, however, as there is a court order prohibiting mention of the immigration issue.

The order came from a motion by Zambrano’s previous defense team, which was pursuing a different legal strategy before it withdrew from the case, citing irreconcilable differences with Zambrano.

“It’s a court order, not a suggestion,” Bailey told Laiche, suggesting he file his own motion to have the order lifted.

Laiche said he will file such a motion as soon as possible.

The trial will resume Monday.


Emily Morris can be reached via e-mail at emorris@gjds.com.

http://www.kjct8.com/news/readnews.cfm?ID=5673

Zambrano murder trial scheduled to begin Monday
Trial proceedings are scheduled to begin monday for the man charged with murdering his wife in 2004. Hector Zambrano is charged with the first degree murder of his wife Patricia Morales Reyes who was strangled to death in her home April tenth, 2004. At the time of Reyes murder, Zambrano was under a no contact protection order prohibiting him from contact with his wife. The trial for Zambrano has been delayed a number of times. In the past few months, delays have been due to conflict with interpreters. Zambrano and a number of witnesses do not speak english. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Monday.



http://www.kjct8.com/news/readnews.cfm?ID=5675

Jury selection begins in murder trial
The first day of trial proceedings began on Monday with jury selection for the man accused of murdering his wife in 2004. Hector Zambrano faces the charge of first degree murder for allegedly manually strangling his wife Patricia Morales Reyes to death at his home in April of 2004. At the time of Reyes murder, Zambrano was under a no contact protection order prohibiting him from having contact with his wife. According to defense attorneys Zambrano claims his wife's murder was not committed after deliberation but that he and his wife had been drinking when he became angry and accidentally killed her. Trial has been delayed a number of times most recently due to conflict with interpreters, Zambrano and a number of witnesses do not speak english. Jury selection will continue on Tuesday. The trial is expected to last 3 weeks. If convicted of first degree murder Zambrano will face life in prison.


http://www.kjct8.com/news/readnews.cfm?ID=5697

Prosecution continues to call witness in murder trial
The murder trial of Hector Zambrano continued on Thursday in a Mesa County courtroom. Zambrano is charged with allegedly murdering his wife Patricia Reyes. The prosecution called several witnesses to the stand including a physician from Community Hospital in Grand Junction that treated Reyes in February 2004. Reyes came to the hospital for treatment of injuries reportedly caused by Zambrano. The physician said Reyes claimed she was choked and punched in the incident. The prosecution is attempting to outline a history of domestic violence and spousal abuse by Zambrano before Reyes' death. In the defenses cross examination of the physician, they asked if he thought the injuries were caused at Reyes job working on an assembly line and not by Zambrano. The physician said he couldn't tell where or how the injuries occurred. Zambrano's defense attorney's are sticking to their claims the murder was not premeditated but done in the heat of passion and Zambrano accidently killed her. The trial is scheduled to continue on Monday.

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