A Texas mother, Arena Gonzalez Morelos, has acknowledged that she struck and killed her husband, Leonardo Mendoza, with her SUV. However, she asserts that she was intoxicated and only meant to “beat” him, not to end his life.
Gonzalez Morelos, 37, reportedly turned herself in voluntarily at the Pasadena Police Department early Sunday after a heated dispute with her husband. According to reports, she confessed to driving her Chevrolet Tahoe into Mendoza.
Officer Darby Slack of the Pasadena Police indicated that the couple had been experiencing marital difficulties. Gonzalez Morelos returned home around 2 a.m. following a party, where arguments ensued between the two.
Witnesses described Mendoza leaving the house and walking down the street toward his parked vehicle. One witness at a nearby gas station recounted seeing a “black Tahoe” emerge from a driveway, jump the curb, and strike a man in the parking lot.
After the incident, the SUV reportedly fled the scene. When authorities arrived around 3:30 a.m. for a “failure to stop and render aid,” they discovered Mendoza with severe injuries. He was transported to HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast, where he later succumbed to his injuries, as noted by Officer Slack.
In the wake of the fatal hit-and-run, detectives conducted a comprehensive investigation. Family members of Mendoza provided details that led investigators to link the vehicle involved to Gonzalez Morelos’ black Tahoe.
Upon surrendering, she allegedly told investigators that she had driven onto the sidewalk and struck her husband, though she insisted she never intended to kill him.
The altercation that reportedly triggered this violence is thought to have originated from text messages, although the specifics of those messages remain undisclosed.
Gonzalez Morelos faces first-degree murder charges and is currently in custody, awaiting transfer to the Harris County Joint Processing Center. The Pasadena Police have referred the case to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
