A 40-year-old Bridge City man is the Orange County Jail with a $1 million bond after being charged with murder in connection with the strangulation death of the mother of his children.
27-year-old Kara Marie Willingham, a Lamar State College-Orange nursing student, was found dead in her Bridge City apartment Wednesday evening after her mother went to check on her.
Jorge Hugo Elizalde-Sanchez, who lived in the same apartment, was arraigned Thursday before State District Judge Courtney Arkeen, who set the bond. He is also on a hold by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration violations.
After an autopsy Thursday, Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Joyce Dubose-Simonton ruled the death a homicide by “asphyxia due to ligature and manual strangulation.”
Bridge City Police went to the apartment about 7 p.m. Wednesday where they saw Willingham dead on the living room floor. She had blood on her plus blood was found on some items and splattered on a wall. Her children with Sanchez were not at home when the body was found.
Bridge City Detective Danny Hodges reported that about 8:30 Wednesday night, neighbors reported seeing Sanchez driving his minivan in the neighborhood. Bridge City police saw the vehicle but it would not stop for emergency lights. After a short chase, police stopped the minivan. The two children were inside.
Detective Hodges said in an affidavit of probable cause that Sanchez and Willingham, who in apartments at 112 Mary Avenue, had been arguing about her having an affair. Sanchez told officers he had found photographs on her phone.
Sanchez said he hit her in the face and they fought. They both fell to the floor and he grabbed her throat with his hand. He squeezed until she stopped moving.
Detective Hodges said she died about 3 a.m. Wednesday. The children were not present in the room.
LSC-O released a statement expressing sadness about Willingham’s death. The school said she had graduated in August as a licensed vocational nurse and was currently enrolled in the registered nursing program.
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