A judge sentenced a man to life in prison without parole in the brutal death of his estranged wife, just hours after he tried to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.
Attorneys for Armando Perez requested a new trial Friday in the October 2010 murder of his estranged wife, Diana Gonzalez. The defense team filed a motion with the court earlier this week.
Perez had admitted guilt in open court two months ago, just before he was to stand trial for the stabbing inside a campus restroom. Gonzalez, 19, had given birth to the couple’s baby girl a few months before her death and was taking college classes to become a nurse.
Prosecutors say on Oct. 12, 2010, Perez hid behind a tree, grabbed Gonzalez after class and viciously stabbed her in the bathroom.
Two years ago, Perez talked about that night in a jailhouse interview with NBC 7. He said he snapped, saying he "lost it."
He also spoke out at his 2012 arraignment and protested the plea entered by his public defender, saying "I'm guilty alright! You're saying I'm not guilty."
In November, the defendant asked his former in-laws to forgive him, saying there should be money to help men with problems so they don't have to go through what happened.
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At the time, Perez said admitting guilt was the "right thing to do" and hoped his actions would help bring awareness to domestic violence.
On Friday, Perez changed his plea once again and requested a new trial. The judge denied his motion.
Weeks before he was scheduled to be sentenced, Perez asked his former in-laws to forgive him. Gonzalez' mother spoke in court Friday, calling Perez "an animal" and "a demon." She also told her former son-in-law that she hoped he would die in prison.
