The man accused of killing his wife in front of their children then fleeing to Mexico appeared in front of a judge for the first time. NBC 7’s Shelby Bremer was in the courtroom and has the latest from Chula Vista.
A man suspected of stabbing his wife to death in front of their young children at their Chula Vista home four years ago, then fleeing to Mexico, was back in the U.S. and appeared in San Diego County court Wednesday.
Francisco Caldera Uriarte, 41, pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and two charges of willful child cruelty in connection with the March 29, 2020, shooting of his 35-year-old wife, Natalia.
Uriarte was arrested in Mexico in May and was transferred last week back into the custody of U.S. law enforcement in San Diego, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.
Prosecutors said Uriarte's been at large in Mexico since the shooting and a judge agreed “that makes him a very significant risk of flight.” Uriarte was denied release on bail.
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The shooting occurred during a fight at their apartment in the 500 block of Oxford Street, about a mile and a half west of Castle Park High School, Chula Vista police said.
At the time, police said officers received a call from a neighbor claiming to have heard a woman scream at around 1:38 a.m. Once officers arrived at the apartment complex, they found three children -- 9-year-old twins and a 3-year-old -- who said their mother and father had been in a physical fight, Chula Vista Police said.
Patrol officers found Natalia Uriarte, a makeup artist, dead and her husband gone.
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The suspect's cousin told police Uriarte left a threatening voicemail to a man he believed his wife was seeing.
The children, who were not harmed, told officers that their dad had fled the scene and they believed he killed their mother during the fight, CVPD said.
A judge also issued a protective order for the children, who the prosecutor said have been safe since the night of the shooting.
The day after the killing, Chula Vista Police released a picture of Uriarte, who they believed killed his wife and was considered armed and dangerous.
Uriarte was booked into San Diego Central Jail on Thursday on suspicion of murder and child endangerment. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Wednesday.
