A late-night 911 call from a rural stretch of Carr Road ended with a Gonzales man in custody and his wife dead, according to Monterey County sheriff's officials. Deputies say they were dispatched shortly before 9:30 p.m. last Friday to the 28000 block of Carr Road, just outside Gonzales, where they found a woman with a severe laceration. She was rushed to a trauma center but later died. The caller, who was detained at the scene, was treated for a gunshot wound before being booked into the Monterey County Jail on suspicion of murder, authorities said.
What deputies say
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office reported that a man dialed 911 shortly before 9:30 p.m. last Friday, telling dispatchers his wife was bleeding and that he did not know what had happened, according to CBS San Francisco. When deputies arrived at the 28000 block of Carr Road, just outside the Gonzales city limits, they found 60-year-old Carmen Vega Tapia suffering from a severe laceration. She was transported to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
Evidence at the scene
Detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence and say they recovered a firearm and a knife they believe were used in the incident, as reported by SFGATE. Deputies detained the caller, identified as 66-year-old Pablo Villasenor of Gonzales, and noticed he was bleeding from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, then later released and booked into jail on suspicion of murder.
Victim and suspect
The sheriff's office identified the victim as 60-year-old Carmen Vega Tapia and the caller as 66-year-old Pablo Villasenor, both residents of Gonzales, according to CBS San Francisco. Villasenor was arrested and booked into the Monterey County Jail on suspicion of murder, while detectives continue to investigate what led to the deadly confrontation and Vega Tapia's fatal injuries.
Legal next steps
The case remains under active investigation and will be sent to prosecutors for review before any formal charges are filed, the sheriff's office said, per SFGATE. Investigators have not released any information about a possible motive, and the county coroner's findings have not yet been made public.
Monterey County Sheriff's detectives have asked anyone with information about the case to contact the department. As of last night, no additional details had been released. We'll update this story as authorities provide more information.
