Man pleads guilty to murdering homeless woman in Madera just before Christmas
The suspect in the deadly stabbing of a homeless woman in Madera just before Christmas has been convicted of murder.
The Madera County District Attorney’s Office announced the conviction of Carlos Urias in a news release Thursday.
Joanne Otero died after Urias stabbed her multiple times in the neck on Dec. 23. Urias was arrested Dec. 28 after numerous surveillance videos showed him walking with the victim and then leaving the scene of the murder, the district attorney’s office said.
Urias faces a prison sentence of up to 56 years-to-life during his sentencing hearing, scheduled for Monday.
Urias pled guilty to every charge and special allegation in the criminal complaint, officials said: first-degree murder of Otero, admission of a prior strike (attempted first-degree burglary) and the personal use of a knife during the murder.
Officials said he pled guilty in January, before his preliminary hearing was scheduled to end on Jan. 13.
