YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Manuel Leal Robles is charged with first degree murder in connection with the death of his wife Ana Karen Robles
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Robles allegedly shot his wife with an AR-15 in front of their 15-year-old son
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Robles allegedly told police that his wife was cheating on him
A California man accused of killing his wife with an AR-15 in front of their son has reportedly admitted to the crime, telling responding officers that she had “cheated” on him.
Manuel Leal Robles, 37, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Nov. 26 death of his wife, Ana Karen Robles, in Bakersfield. 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 Manuel and Ana’s 15-year-old son, who claimed the two had been drinking that evening and began arguing as the night wore on. Robles later told police he drank two bottles of vodka and blacked out, according to the report.
When the boy tried to intervene, he allegedly met his mother in the fetal position on her bed while Robles was on top of her pointing a gun at her.
Robles allegedly fired the weapon several times at a safe in the bedroom before leaving. He then came back with the AR-15, said “this is what happens when you cheat,” and shot his wife several times, the boy alleged, according to the police report.
Afterward, Robles allegedly put the barrel of the gun in his mouth but did not pull the trigger, after which the boy said he wrestled the gun away and threw it over a fence. He then allegedly followed his father into the kitchen, and wrestled his father away from the knives for fear of stabbing 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 that Robles made several “spontaneous” statements after they were knocked down, which were caught on bodycam video.
“I f—ed up, my wife cheated on me and I f—ed up,” Robles allegedly said, according to the report.
“She made a mistake and I killed her for it,” he allegedly said, adding that Ana “didn’t deserve this.”
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In a follow-up interview, the boy allegedly told investigators that his parents fought often and that his father “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 carry out surveillance, and she saw Ana with another man.
In addition to first-degree murder, Robles is charged with intentional cruelty to children and causing bodily injury to a spouse/cohabitant, according to jail records. He is being held at the Lerdo Justice Facility and his next court date is February 11. Information on an attorney was not immediately available.
Read the original article on People