Young Girl's 911 Call Alerts Hayward Police To Mom's Fatal Stabbing
HAYWARD (CBS SF) -- A 40-year-old suspect was being held Friday on murder and child endangerment charges after he allegedly stabbed his wife to death as their 11-year daughter watched, police and prosecutors said.
The charge against Elmer Ugarte, 40, stems from the stabbing of his wife Maria Hernandez, 38, in the 24000 block of Willimet Way in Hayward, near Birchfield Park just east of Interstate Highway 880, at about 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday.
Ugarte, who is a student according to jail records, was arraigned on Friday in Alameda County Superior Court in Dublin.
According to Hayward police Detective Jason Mosby, Ugarte stabbed Hernandez multiple times when she returned to their home on Tuesday evening. He wrote in his probable case statement that before Hernandez came home she phoned the couple's 11-year-old daughter to lock her bedroom door because Ugarte was intoxicated.
Hernandez drove to the home with the couple's 12-year-old son but told him to stay in the car while she went inside. When Hernandez went inside she told the daughter to get some belongings to go to her grandparents' house.
But Ugarte called out to Hernandez and as she walked toward him he started stabbing her multiple times, Mosby said. Hernandez fell to the ground and Ugarte continued to stab her.
"The entire event was witnessed by the 11-year-old," Mosby wrote.
According to Mosby, Ugarte washed the knife and his hands and then fled in his vehicle, leaving his two children behind.
The 11-year-old daughter called police to report the stabbing and multiple officers who responded to the scene found Hernandez suffering from multiple stab wounds to her torso and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ugarte was arrested in Mountain View at 7:52 p.m. Tuesday. In addition to murder, Ugarte is charged with felony child endangerment.
Hayward police said anyone who has information about the fatal stabbing is asked to call Detective Mosby at (510) 293-7176.