A Pueblo couple accused of murdering their two small children and then hiding their bodies in a storage unit and car scrapyard are headed for trial.
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Pueblo couple accused of murdering two small children and hiding bodies bound for trial
New details, alleged confessions, and claims of preceding abuse in the
deaths of two Pueblo children were revealed Oct. 18 during a preliminary hearing for two adults accused of first-degree murder.
Judge Allison Ernst ruled Friday there was probable cause to send both defendants to trial in the murder case after a full day of testimony by investigators.
Corena Rose Minjarez, 37, and Jesus Dominguez, 36, were
arrested in January after the remains of the 5- and 3-year-old children were found by police, one in a storage container encased in concrete and one in a suitcase in the back of a vehicle in a scrapyard.
The pair faces charges of first-degree murder of a victim under 12 by a person in a position of trust and abuse of a corpse.
Jesus Jr. Dominguez, 5, and Yesenia Dominguez, 3, were Dominguez's children with another woman toward whom Minjarez displayed extreme jealousy, according to family members of Dominguez.
Until March 2018, the children lived with Dominguez, Minjarez, and members of Minjarez's family on Sundance Drive, Detective Julee Quintana testified Friday. While living at that property, Minjarez was primarily responsible for the discipline and caregiving of both children.
Family members of Minjarez told investigators they had concerns over the harsh discipline Minjarez used on both children, Quintana testified.
In one instance, Minjarez's sister grew concerned and later confronted Minjarez over an incident in which Minjarez allegedly locked the 3-year-old Yesenia in a room until she finished eating a carrot, as the sister believed Yesenia did not understand what was being asked of her.
In another incident, Minjarez's own teenage son allegedly confronted her over the excessive physical punishment of Jesus Jr.
Minjarez's son allegedly told Quintana he believed Minjarez took out her frustrations in her tumultuous relationship with Dominguez on Dominguez's children, particularly Yesenia.
Another relative also stated that at one point, Minjarez told him she wished she never had children because "life would be so much easier."
Alby Singleton, head of the Colorado State Public Defender's Office in Pueblo, argued that according to the detective's report, Minjarez was referring to her own children. However, Deputy District Attorney Kyle McCarthy argued the relative would not have relayed the statement if he did not feel it was important.
Relatives stated that while Dominguez and Minjarez were gone, the children were often locked in their rooms for long periods.
A relative of Minjarez also told investigators that on at least one occasion, Dominguez slapped Jesus Jr. with an open hand.
In March 2018, the family was evicted from the home on Sundance and the two children lived with Minjarez and Dominguez, who were homeless in their car until at some point in 2019 when they began living in an apartment on Bonnymede Road. By that point, the children were not with them, detectives stated.
When asked by family members and the children's biological mother where Jesus Jr. and Yesenia were, Dominguez told a number of stories, telling various family members that the children were "getting bigger" and were safe with various other family members in Texas or Florida.
When contacted by law enforcement, Dominguez told Detective Joseph Cardona and lead Detective Nicholas Lyle that the children were with a sister in Phoenix, Arizona. No records of the sister in question were ever found.
Minjarez allegedly told detectives that the children were "fine" with a relative of Dominguez and refused to speak further to law enforcement.
However, Minjarez allegedly confessed to killing the children on two separate occasions.
In one instance, she allegedly told a friend Lyle only referred to as "Christian" that both children died in 2018. According to the story "Christian" told investigators, Minjarez said she and Dominguez were doing drugs one night and later found Yesenia "unconscious behind the back seat," Lyle testified.
Six months later, Minjarez said that Jesus Jr. died "the exact same way," Lyle testified.
The vehicle's backseat did not lift up, and Lyle stated he believed Minjarez likely meant that the children would have had to have been trapped by the front seat and asphyxiated. However, Lyle stated that testing performed on the seat with crash dolls showed this was only possible in one or two unlikely poses, and even then would not restrict the victim from making noise or using their arms to free themselves or at least get attention.
In a Facebook message to her son on Feb. 1 of this year, Minjarez allegedly pleaded for her son to believe her that what happened to the children was an accident and that she loved him and his sisters.
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