A 66-year-old man in south Monterey County has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife the night before Valentine’s Day, according to Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 9:27 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13 to a home just outside Gonzales in the 28000 block of Carr Road. The suspect, later identified as Pablo Villasenor, called 911 to report a medical emergency involving his wife.
When deputies arrived on scene, they located Villasenor’s wife, 60-year-old Carmen Vega Tapia who was “suffering from a severe laceration.”
Fire and ambulance personnel immediately began life-saving measures before transporting her to a local trauma center at Natividad Medical Center where she later died from her injuries.
Sheriff’s officials had not responded to that location for prior domestic issues.
Detectives detained Villasenor and took him to the sheriff’s office for questioning. During the interview, deputies said they observed Villasenor was bleeding and discovered he had sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
Officials say the gunshot is currently under investigation and pending forensic testing.
He was taken to a local hospital for treatment and later released.
Villasenor has been booked into the Monterey County Jail on suspicion of murder. This is the first suspected homicide of 2026 for Monterey County, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Firearm and knife found at home
During their investigation, detectives obtained a search warrant for the Villasenor home and found a firearm and knife. The weapons are believed by investigators to have been used in the incident.
This remains an active investigation and no additional details have been released.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
(This story has been updated with new information provided by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.)
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Monterey County man arrested on suspicion of killing wife
Reporting by Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
