People v. Sanchez CA2/8

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. Pretrial Events and Proceedings On January 27, 2012, appellant’s wife Laura Gonzalez went to a police station and reported that, during an argument two weeks earlier on January 13, appellant had thrown a pot of boiling water in her face and chest area, causing serious burns. She said appellant had warned her that, if she reported the incident to the police, he would put a screwdriver through her eyeball and/or harm or kill their oldest child. She gave the police photographs of her injuries taken three or four days after the incident. On February 14, 2012, a detective visited Gonzalez at her home, and noticed, in addition to burn marks on her face, that one of her eyes was bruised. Gonzalez told the detective that appellant had punched her in the eye about a week earlier. She said she was at a bus stop when, “out of nowhere,” appellant walked up and punched her in the eye. Gonzalez also told the detective about the incident on January 13 when appellant threw boiling water in her face. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 4, 2012. On the evening of April 3 and the early morning of April 4, appellant spoke to Gonzalez on the telephone…