The Dallas County District Attorney provided an update on the case of 38-year-old Jose Mendez, who was charged with murder. Mendez was accused of fatally shooting his longtime girlfriend following an argument over dinner preparations.
According to the District Attorney's statement, the incident occurred on February 3, 2022, when Mendez became enraged at his girlfriend for not preparing dinner to his liking. The argument escalated in the couple's bedroom while the victim's 12 and 15-year-old daughters were in the adjacent room.
The altercation took a deadly turn when the daughters heard multiple gunshots and fled the house in their pajamas and socks despite the harsh weather conditions of an incoming winter storm. They sought refuge at a neighbor's residence and alerted authorities. One of the daughters reported seeing Mendez holding a gun before they fled.
Dallas Police officers discovered the victim's lifeless body in the front yard, with gunshot wounds indicating she may have been attempting to escape in her car before being shot.
During the trial, Mendez showed no remorse for his actions and shifted blame onto the victim for various issues including cooking. The jury also heard about Mendez's history of violence towards the victim and her daughters, as well as inappropriate sexual behavior directed at the girls.
On February 9, 2024, Mendez was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
The investigating agency in this case was the Dallas Police Department. It was noted that Mendez is an illegal alien in the United States.
