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Manuel Leal Robles charged with first-degree murder in death of wife Ana Karen Robles
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Robles allegedly shot his wife with an AR-15 in front of their 15-year-old son
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Robles allegedly told police his wife had been cheating on him
A California man accused of murdering his wife with an AR-15 in front of their son allegedly admitted to the crime and told police she “cheated” on him.
Manuel Leal Robles, 37, is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 26 death of his wife, Ana Karen Robles, in Bakersfield. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail, according to local jail records.
In an 86-page police report obtained by PEOPLE, police recounted interviews with Manuel and Ana’s 15-year-old son, who claimed they both drank that night and began arguing as the night wore on. Robles later reportedly told police he drank two bottles of vodka and passed out.
When the son tried to intervene, he allegedly encountered his mother lying in the fetal position on the bed while Robles stood over her and pointed a handgun at her.
Robles allegedly fired several shots into the bedroom safe before leaving. The son claimed he then returned with an AR-15, said “this is what happens when you cheat,” and shot his wife several times, according to the police report.
After Robles allegedly put the barrel of the gun in his mouth but did not pull the trigger, his son later described knocking the gun down and throwing it over a fence. He then allegedly followed his father into the kitchen and pulled him away from the knife for fear he would stab himself with the knife. Robles then allegedly fled the scene in a truck.
Police later caught up with Robles at a shopping mall about two miles from his home, where he was arrested. In the police report, an officer claimed Robles made various “unprompted” comments while being handcuffed, which were recorded on body cameras.
“I screwed up, my wife cheated on me, I screwed up,” Robles allegedly said, according to the report.
“She made a mistake and I killed her for it,” he allegedly said, adding that Anna “didn’t deserve this.”
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In a subsequent interview, the son allegedly told investigators that his parents often argued and that his father would “punch holes in the walls” while drinking. Robles discovered his wife’s affair last month. He allegedly sent his sister on surveillance and she witnessed Anna with another man.
In addition to first-degree murder, Robles is charged with intentional child abuse and causing bodily harm to a spouse/cohabitant, according to jail records. He is being held at the Lerdo Judicial Institution, with his next court date scheduled for February 11. Information about an attorney was not immediately available.
Read the original article on People
