A woman accused of strangling her aunt during a fight over housework has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, more than four years after the killing in Chula Vista. Elizabeth Maria Memea entered her plea in connection with the death of 52-year-old Leticia Hernandez, who was found dead inside her East Prospect Street home in February 2022.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Memea is due to be sentenced on December 11, 2026, and the expected sentence is 15 years to life in state prison. The newspaper's report identifies Memea as 37 years old, though earlier coverage of her arrest listed her age as 32 — a discrepancy that could not be resolved.
A Welfare Check Turned Up a Grim Discovery
The case dates back to when Hernandez's family had been unable to reach her for more than 24 hours and asked officers to check on her welfare, according to timesofsandiego.com. Patrol officers responded to her home in the 100 block of East Prospect Street and found her dead shortly after 7:30 p.m., the outlet reported.
Officers discovered Hernandez's body underneath a pile of clothing in her bedroom, according to nbcsandiego.com. Investigators said Hernandez had been choked after getting into a dispute with her niece over cleaning the home, the station reported.
Police Alleged Choking Led to Her Death
Chula Vista police Lt. Dan Peak said at the time that Memea had attacked Hernandez by choking her and eventually killing her, per the same nbcsandiego.com account. Memea was booked into Las Colinas women's jail in Santee and held without bail pending arraignment, the station reported.
