by A California man accused of murdering his wife with an AR-15 in front of their son allegedly confessed to the crime, telling responding officers that she had “cheated” to him.
Manuel Leal Robles, 37, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Ana Karen Robles, in Bakersfield on Nov. 26. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail, according to local jail records.
In an 86-page police report obtained by PEOPLE, officers recounted interviewing the 15-year-old son of Manuel and Ana, who claimed that they were both drinking that evening and that they started to argue as the night went on. Robles would later tell police he drank two bottles of vodka and blacked out, according to the report.
When the son attempted to intervene, he allegedly encountered his mother in the fetal position on her bed while Robles stood over her pointing a handgun at her.
Robles allegedly fired the weapon several times at a safe in the bedroom before leaving. He then came back wielding an AR-15, said “this is what happens when you cheat,” and shot his wife several times, the son alleged, per the police report.
Afterwards, Robles allegedly placed the gun’s barrel in his mouth but didn’t pull the trigger, after which the son recounted wrestling the gun away and throwing it over a fence. He then allegedly followed his father into the kitchen, wrestling his father away from knives out of fear he would stab himself with one. Robles then allegedly fled the scene in his truck.
Officers later caught up with Robles at a shopping center about two miles from his home, where he was arrested. In the police report, one officer alleged Robles made various “spontaneous” statements after being cuffed, which were captured on bodycam video.
“I f—ed up, my wife cheated on me and I f—ed up,” Robles allegedly said, per the report.
“She made a mistake and I killed her for it,” he allegedly said, adding that Ana “didn’t deserve that.”
In a follow-up interview, the son allegedly told investigators that his parents fought frequently and that his dad “put holes in the walls” when he drank. Robles had discovered his wife’s alleged affair the previous month; he allegedly sent his sister to conduct surveillance, and she witnessed Ana with another man.
In addition to first-degree murder, Robles is charged with willful cruelty to child and inflicting corporal injury on spouse/cohabitant, according to jail records. He is being held at the Lerdo Justice Facility and his next court date is on Feb. 11. Information on an attorney was not immediately available.
