Hemet, CA: Murder Suicide Reported Near Hemet Courthouse

Police Say Woman Shot To Death By Estranged Husband In Courthouse Parkling Lot

POSTED: 6:24 pm PST January 4, 2012

HEMET, Calif. -- A woman who was shot to death in her car Wednesday morning in the parking lot of the Riverside County Courthouse in Hemet has been identified as 37-year-old Aimee Schulz.
People who witnessed the shooting were visibly shaken.
"I heard two more shots and I ducked because I knew what was going on then," said Kimberly Jones, who witnessed the entire shooting. "And then the guy ran to his car and got in, and I got out of my car and ran to hers and she was slumped over her seat."
Police say the shooter was Schulz's estranged husband, Ralph Costales, 54, of Nuevo.
After he took off, witnesses were able to tell police the type of car he was driving. A few miles from the courthouse, police say Costales pulled over and shot himself.
"The vehicle we were following, we were waiting for some more officers to join the vehicle that was following the car. We were not trying to stop the vehicle yet with the suspect in it. He on his own pulled over and apparently shot himself," said Hemet police Lt. Duane Wisehart.
Court records show Schulz filed for divorce in November and that the couple was due in court Wednesday morning for a custodial hearing on spousal and child support.
Witnesses said they saw the couple arguing shortly before they walked to the parking lot.
Dr. Daniel Watson, a licensed psychologist who practices in Palm Desert, said the murder-suicide was likely a result of a man seeing his family fall apart.
"If you're losing your wife, losing your kids, you can get very emotional about it because you believe that you need them, and so you get mad at the person who is taking them away," said Watson.
Watson added that the incident could have been avoided if Costales had only allowed himself a short cooling-off period.
"Usually 20-30 seconds, if they just wait it through, but what they do internally is they start saying, 'This isn't right. This isn't fair. How can she do this to me?'" Watson said.
The deceased couple has a daughter believed to be 10 or 11 years old. She is currently staying with family.