After strangling his wife during a Sunday morning argument while their young children slept nearby, a 47-year-old welder called his pastor to confess the slaying, according to police.

Rodolfo Ortega, 320 Coach Court, Houma, is charged with second-degree murder.

At 10 a.m., police arrived at Ortega’s trailer after receiving a call from Ortega’s pastor, said Houma Police Lt. Jude McElroy. Ortega is the member of a local Jehovah Witness congregation, police said.

Ortega and his wife, San Juana Isabel Ortega, 32, argued throughout the early morning without waking their four children, who were sleeping, McElroy said. The family lived in a trailer off Main Street near Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

Ortega told police he strangled his wife about 4 a.m. He called his pastor three hours later to confess, McElroy said.

“He wasn’t trying to hide anything at this point,” McElroy said.

Police arrived at the couple’s home about 10 a.m. and found the wife’s body in the bedroom, he said. The four children, ranging from ages 5 to 12, were put in custody of family.

A Spanish-speaking officer translated for Ortega, who told them about the murder and was calmly arrested, he said.

During questioning with investigators, Ortega said he worked as a welder for North American Shipyard for the past year and a half, he said. He also said he had been living in the country illegally for the past nine years.

Houma Police say this is the first murder of the year.


source: wwltv.com

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