Merced man arrested in girlfriend’s death

A 25-year-old Merced man faces possible murder charges in connection with the death of his girlfriend, the Merced Police Department confirmed.

Jose Angel Urena-Ortiz was booked on Monday into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody on $1 million bail, according to booking records.

The victim, 23-year-old Catrina Fonseca-Martinez, died Sunday at Mercy Medical Center in Merced, the Merced County Coroner’s Office confirmed.

Capt. Bimley West said he could not comment on the cause of the death until after an autopsy had been completed by the Merced County Coroner’s Office. He did say, however, she was not stabbed or shot.

“There’s no indication at this point that any type of instrument was involved,” West said in a telephone interview. “All we can say at this point is that the detectives believe (Urena-Ortiz) committed an act of physical violence that caused the woman’s death.”

Police were called at 2:56 p.m. Sunday to a home in the 200 block of Q Street in Merced after Urena-Ortiz called to say his girlfriend was not breathing, police said.

Riggs Ambulance paramedics transported the woman to the hospital, where she later died.

“The detectives interviewed (Urena-Ortiz) and, based on that and the victim’s medical information they received from the hospital, they believe there was enough evidence to believe (Urena-Ortiz) committed the crime of murder,” West said.

Urena-Ortiz has a history of domestic violence involving the same victim, according to Merced Superior Court records.

He pleaded guilty in September 2012 to a reduced misdemeanor count of inflicting corporal injury on a cohabitant. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail and three years of probation, prohibited from possessing a firearm for 10 years and ordered to complete a 52-week batterer’s treatment program, according to court records.

He was arrested on the same charge of inflicting corporal injury against the same victim in 2014, but accepted a plea deal that reduced the charge to a misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace by fighting. He was sentenced to serve two years of probation.

Urena-Ortiz was arrested again Oct. 18 of this year on suspicion of spouse abuse, preventing or dissuading a victim from testifying and false imprisonment. However, Merced County prosecutors refused to file the case in court, citing a “lack of evidence,” records show.

The death brings the total number of homicides in the city of Merced in 2015 to 11. A total of 30 homicides have been reported this year in Merced County.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Merced man arrested in girlfriend’s death."