Abusive Fresno man who fatally stabbed ex-girlfriend in front of her brother gets prison
A Fresno man convicted of stabbing his 21-year-old ex-girlfriend to death was sentenced Tuesday to 16-years-to-life in prison.
Victor Dominguez-Gomez, 26, sat quietly as the judge handed down his sentence for killing Rocio Medina Gomez on July 15, 2017.
The crime was particularly brutal, as the victim’s brother testified during trial that Dominguez-Gomez attacked his sister right in front of him, stabbing her repeatedly.
The brother also testified his sister was a victim of domestic violence prior to the killing.
Jurors found Dominguez-Gomez guilty of second degree murder on Nov. 9.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Deborah Miller during trial portrayed Dominguez-Gomez as a manipulating man who couldn’t bear the thought of Rocio Medina Gomez breaking up with him.
Miller said up until the sentencing date, the defendant showed remorse that his ex-girlfriend was dead, but never took responsibility for killing her.
“He claimed he accidentally stabbed her. Today, he finally apologized for his acts that caused Rocio’s death,” Miller said in an interview.
Dominguez-Gomez’s attorney Philip Billington said his client was deeply sorry for the fatal stabbing.
“He said over and over again that he was very sorry and never expected to find himself in this situation,” Billington said in an interview. “It was a very sad hearing.”
Anger over breakup led to murder
During the trial, the victim’s brother Jose Medina Gomez testified his sister was the victim of domestic violence. She also told her brother that she broke up with Dominguez-Gomez.
But in the early morning hours of July 15, the estranged couple showed up at Jose Medina Gomez’s southwest Fresno home to announce they were back together. During the trial, Gomez testified that his sister turned her head side to side, indicating Dominguez-Gomez was not telling the truth.
It wasn’t long after they entered the home that the couple stepped into the kitchen. Dominguez-Gomez then began stabbing Rocio Medina Gomez with a kitchen knife — an attack her brother witnessed.
The coroner’s report showed Gomez was stabbed 10 times.
“The victim’s brother not only saw his sister being stabbed, but he and his wife had to clean her blood from the house as they couldn’t afford someone to come professionally clean it for them,” Miller said.
“He was the one who had to call his parents and tell them that his younger sister was murdered and he was unable to stop it from happening.”
