Construction worker gets life sentence for 2019 murder of 76-year-old Arcadia woman

A Pasadena man was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the gruesome murder of a 76-year-old woman, whose body was found in her Altadena backyard. The man had done construction work on her home.  

Heber Enoc Diaz, 33, was sentenced for what the judge called a "brutal, heinous, violent attack" against Chyong Jen Tsai.  

Diaz's sentencing included not only first-degree murder charges for the April 9, 2019 crime but also for special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery or attempted robbery and murder during the commission of a burglary or attempted burglary. 

Allegations included that he had personally used a box cutter, a drywall saw and a hammer to commit the crime. 

In an emotional statement in court Monday, one of the victim's daughters, Nancy Tsai, said her mother "saved every, every penny" and "lived a life of frugality" in order to move forward with the construction project.  

She noted that her mother served breakfast daily to the construction crew. She said that Diaz "stole my mom's dream to live her life out" in her home and "devastated our family." 

Diaz was convicted Nov. 7 of first-degree murder. Deputy District Attorney Miriam Avalos told jurors during the trial that the woman was stabbed multiple times, her throat was cut twice and she had injuries that were consistent with her being hit by a hammer and choked. 

The prosecutor told the jury that Diaz had also been involved in another burglary at the property about three weeks earlier while he was still working there. 

Diaz's attorney countered that his client solely returned to the property where he had worked "with the intention of stealing tools." 

Prosecution questioned why Diaz would ride a bicycle to the home if he was going to steal heavy tools, saying the only reason would be if he were going to steal Tsai's Lexus. After the crime, her vehicle was found about three miles from where Diaz lived. 

Diaz, who was linked to the killing through cellphone records and DNA evidence, was arrested 10 days later by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies. He has remained behind bars since then.