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H.B. man pleads not guilty to killing wife

A Huntington Beach man pleaded not guilty Friday on charges of murdering his estranged wife by stabbing her to death in a Starlight Motel room Oct. 10.

Fidelio Marin, 38, is charged with one felony count for murdering Felix Mendez, 32, and a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon.

Marin also denied the enhancement at his arraignment.

He faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison if convicted, and is being held on $1 million bail, the Orange County Public Defender’s office said. Following the murder, when their 17-year-old daughter was unable to reach either of her parents, she climbed through a window and found her dead mother in a pool of blood, authorities said. Marin was found three hours later on a public bus.

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Mendez leaves behind four children; the community has rallied to assist the family since their mother’s death.

A pretrial is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 19 at the West Justice Center in Westminster.

— Candice Baker


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