A Texas mom claimed responsibility for the death of her husband in an unusual attempt to shield her son, who reportedly was the real killer.
Texas mom tries to take the fall for son’s crime
According to court records, 19-year-old Raymundo Morales reportedly told El Paso police, “I killed my stepdad,” during questioning on January 12.
The incident stemmed from a family gathering that initially turned heated with a verbal dispute, eventually escalating into violence.
Morales allegedly stabbed his stepfather, Angel Martin Herrera, aged 40, after tensions boiled over.
According to KTSM, Morales was allegedly heavily drinking when he assaulted a woman at the party by choking and hitting her.
Herrera stepped in to scold Morales about his behavior, sparking a conflict. When police arrived at the residence, they found Herrera unresponsive with a stab wound in the side of his neck.
Less than an hour earlier, they had been called to the home at around 3:30 a.m., over a verbal altercation, but left after deescalating the situation.
Officers returned to the residence 30 minutes later when Herrera’s stabbing was called in. Morales’ mother confessed to the stabbing when questioned by police.
However, witnesses present at the scene contradicted her story, asserting that Morales carried out the attack.
Texas mom admits she wasn’t the killer
Later, the mother recanted her statement, and Morales reportedly confessed to police. He justified his actions by claiming Herrera had pushed his mother, though witnesses did not corroborate this. Morales acknowledged his mother’s attempt to take the blame but said he wouldn’t allow it.
Herrera was transported to the hospital but was pronounced dead. Morales was taken into custody, charged with murder, and assault involving a family member.
He is being held at the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $700,000 bond, with his next court appearance scheduled for January 17.
Mom sets up son to take the fall for murder
On the opposite side of the spectrum, another mother attempted to pin murder on her son in an unrelated case out of New Mexico.
Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez, 49, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree murder for shooting her daughter’s teenage boyfriend and later trying to shift responsibility to her own child.
According to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, Ortiz-Chavez fatally shot Josue Ruiz outside a downtown eatery on March 4, 2022.
District Attorney Sam Bregman said she “tried to blame her son for the murder because he’s a juvenile and she believed he would face a lesser sentence.”
The events leading to Ruiz’s murder began with a confrontation between Ortiz-Chavez’s son, Angelo Baldonado, and Ruiz behind a restaurant.
Witnesses revealed that as the teens prepared to fight in an alley, gunshots rang out, killing Ruiz. Initially, Baldonado was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
It took more than a year for revelations to emerge that implicated Ortiz-Chavez. The case took a turn when Baldonado’s brother confided in a friend over Facebook, disclosing details that upended the investigation.
The brother reportedly said, “Angelo and his mother, Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez, had gone to fight Josue and that Josue tried to pull a gun on them… but that detectives had charged his brother with the murder.”
He also lamented the injustice, stating, “I have an older brother locked up because of her…I hate her for what she did.”
The information triggered Baldonado’s own confession, admitting his mother orchestrated the situation, believing his juvenile status would shield him from severe consequences.
Witness statements, along with his admission, resulted in Baldonado changing his plea in August 2023 to guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and felony assault.
He is serving his sentence at the Bernalillo County Youth Detention Center until he turns 21.
Ortiz-Chavez, meanwhile, was taken into custody once her involvement was exposed.
Records indicate Ortiz-Chavez has been held without bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque since May 2023.
She faces a potential 18-year prison sentence, though her sentencing date remains undecided.
