Man Out on Bail Arrested in Wife’s Killing in Santa Ana

A 25-year-old man who was out on bail awaiting proceedings in a criminal case was arrested Friday in the slaying of his wife at their Santa Ana apartment, police said.

Fernando Jaramillo Llamas was arrested in connection with the killing of Maria Teresa Murillo Rojas, 26. Her body was found early Friday morning after officers responded to a call of a dead woman at the Cornerstone Village Apartments at 1021 S. South Standard Ave., police said in a news release. Her body was found in the apartment she shared with her 1-year-old daughter, extended family and husband, officials said.

Police arrested Jaramillo after a brief pursuit and crash. Police were led to apparently became despondent and tried to kill himself at his workplace, Aluminum Precision Metals.

When police arrived to his work, the suspect drove off in a black Volkswagen Passat and officers lost him. But they caught up with him later after spotting his car.

After a pursuit, the suspect crashed and tried to run away, but police cornered him under the Costa Mesa Freeway. The suspect was treated at a hospital for minor injuries, but expect to book him into jail charges of murder, violation of a domestic violence court order, and child endangerment, officials said. The suspect crashed into Steven Smith's utility truck.

"All I felt was him running in to the back of me, then the police car running into the back of him to trap him," Smith said. "While police are getting out with their guns drawn he takes off running under the freeway."

Details about how the victim was killed and the suspect's prior criminal case were not immediately available.