SoCal Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Ex-Wife and Disposing of Her Body

SoCal (Thechieftainspear) – A Salinas man has pleaded guilty to murdering his ex-wife and disposing of her body down a steep embankment in Santa Barbara County, prosecutors announced.

Murder Stems from Reconciliation Attempt

Josefino Cayetano Maldonado, 45, admitted in court to killing his former wife, Eudelia Gonzalez, in July 2021, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

On the night of July 10, 2021, Gonzalez attended a gathering before meeting up with Maldonado. Though they had been separated for eight years, they spent time together, visiting a park along Potrero Road near Newbury Park before continuing toward Oxnard.

During the drive, Maldonado brought up the idea of reconciliation, but Gonzalez rejected the suggestion, authorities said.

Attack and Disposal of the Body

At around 12:30 a.m., Maldonado pulled over near East Hueneme Road. Once they stepped out of the vehicle, he struck Gonzalez repeatedly in the head with a rock, rendering her unconscious.

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He then put her into his car and drove to an area north of Santa Barbara near Gaviota. To prevent her from breathing, he covered her head with a plastic bag and wrapped it with a sweatshirt before discarding her body down a steep embankment along Highway 101, according to court documents.

Investigation Uncovers Key Evidence

When Gonzalez failed to return home, her 17-year-old daughter reported her missing.

Oxnard police questioned Maldonado, but he initially denied seeing Gonzalez that night and claimed he hadn’t been in Ventura County.

However, detectives later reviewed cell phone records, which placed Maldonado at the scene of the crime. Faced with incriminating evidence, he ultimately confessed to the murder and led authorities to the location of Gonzalez’s body in Santa Barbara County.

Murder Conviction and Sentencing

On March 25, 2024, Maldonado pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, with an added special allegation for using a deadly weapon (rock).

“This guilty plea brings some measure of justice for the victim’s family, who have waited patiently for closure,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Tom Steele, who prosecuted the case.

Maldonado is scheduled for sentencing on April 22 at the Ventura County Superior Court, where he faces 16 years to life in prison. He remains in custody without bail.