A Yuba City man was convicted Thursday of murdering his wife during a 2007 shooting outside Zamora.
Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced a Yolo County jury convicted 41-year-old Ignacio Favela Mendoza of murder in the first degree. In addition, the jury also found he personally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury and he committed the murder while attempting to kidnap his wife.
On May 26, 2007, Mendoza went to an orchard outside of Zamora and approached his wife with a shotgun drawn and demanded that she get in the car with him, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven. A fellow worker tried to calm Mendoza but his efforts were futile and Mendoza fired one shot from 4 feet that killed his wife after she refused his demands, Raven said. Mendoza fled the scene and traveled to Mexico.
Yolo County Sheriff's deputies working with the FBI developed leads to locate Mendoza in Mexico, Raven said. In December of 2007 an international warrant was issued and on April 1, 2010 Mendoza was arrested in Mexico. Mendoza was brought back to Yolo County in October 2010.
Deputy District Attorney Larry Eichele thanked Yolo County Sheriff's detectives and the Office of International Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice, for their "extraordinary efforts" in this case.
Judge Dave Rosenberg will sentence Mendoza Thursday, Sept. 8. Mendoza faces life without the possibility of parole, plus 25 years to life in state prison.
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