A domestic dispute turned deadly on Sunnyslope Road when a man
shot and killed his estranged wife and then himself late
Saturday.
The bodies of Stephanie Rodriguez, 37, and Leo Rodriguez, 40,
were found on the living room floor of apartment B at 1051
Sunnyslope Road, both with what appeared to be a fatal gunshot
wound to the head, the Hollister Police Department said.
A domestic dispute turned deadly on Sunnyslope Road when a man shot and killed his estranged wife and then himself late Saturday.
The bodies of Stephanie Rodriguez, 37, and Leo Rodriguez, 40, were found on the living room floor of apartment B at 1051 Sunnyslope Road, both with what appeared to be a fatal gunshot wound to the head, the Hollister Police Department said.
Investigators said Leo Rodriguez, who was separated from his wife Stephanie, was seen by neighbors trying to force his way through her front door at approximately 10:56 p.m. Saturday.
Concerned neighbors, who heard the sounds of a woman screaming from the apartment, called police.
Four police officers arrived at the apartment complex by 10:58 p.m., according to the county’s emergency communication center.
When the officers reached the apartment, they reportedly found the front door had been severely damaged and forced open, even though there was a chair propped up against it from the inside, investigators said.
The stench of freshly burned gunpowder stung the nostrils of officers as they cautiously entered the apartment. Investigators said the smoke from the gunpowder could still be seen wafting through the air in the apartment as they searched it, police said.
Investigators said it appears that Leo Rodriguez was prepared to deal with any resistance that might have stood in his way because he was found wearing body armor; a .45-caliber handgun was found on the floor next to him; a .40-caliber handgun was found underneath his body; and a spare .40-caliber handgun magazine filled with ammunition was found in an empty holster Rodriguez was wearing.
A crime scene evidence recovery team from the state’s Department of Justice was called in from Watsonville to help collect physical evidence and process the scene, police said.
Additional information on the shooting is expected to be released later today.
