A 26-year-old woman was found dead Friday morning in the Santa Ana apartment she shared with her 1-year-old daughter, extended family and husband, who was later arrested after a vehicle chase that ended in a traffic crash and foot pursuit.
The body of Maria Teresa Murillo Rojas was found by family members around 7 a.m. inside the apartment in the 1000 block of South Standard Avenue, where the victim’s extended family also lived, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
A cause of death was not released, but evidence of foul play was discovered at the scene and Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said detectives surmised she was the victim of a homicide, allegedly at the hands of her husband.
The husband, identified as 25-year-old Fernando Jaramillo Llamas, had left the location by the time police and paramedics arrived.
“Officers also learned the husband was currently out on bail for an ongoing criminal proceeding,” according to a police statement. Details about that case were not immediately available, but Bertagna said it involved the same victim.
Around 9 a.m., officers responded to a report of an attempted suicide at Aluminum Precision Products at 523 E. Alton Ave., Jaramillo Llamas’ last known place of employment, police said.
As they arrived at the business, officers saw Jaramillo Llamas flee the location in his Volkswagen Passat but were unable to stop or track him.
At 11:14 a.m., officers spotted the vehicle in the area of Grand Avenue and the Santa Ana (5) Freeway and a chase ensued through Santa Ana, into Anaheim and back to Santa Ana, where the pursuit ended with the driver rear-ending a truck at Dyer Road and Grand Avenue, Bertagna said.
Jaramillo Llamas jumped out of the car and tried to get away on foot, but police arrested him nearby, Bertagna said.
The suspect was taken to a hospital, but was later medically cleared. Following questioning by detectives and in consultation with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Jaramillo Llamas was booked on suspicion of murder, violating a domestic violence court order and child endangerment.
The man was allegedly living at the apartment in violation of a court order, Bertagna said.
There was no word on what might have precipitated the slaying.