Adams County prosecutors on Monday charged a Thornton man with first-degree murder in .
Hector Frias, 50, is accused of shooting his wife, 48-year-old Norma Frias, in the head on Dec. 20.
Authorities say the shooting happened near East 74th Avenue and Washington Street in Hector Frias’ sports utility vehicle.
Deputies found Norma Frias after being called to a fender bender in the area involving the vehicle. The couple were in the SUV together, investigators say.
Deputies found Hector Frias several hours after the wreck and say he was stained with blood and drunk, according to an arrest affidavit.
“It’s my fault,” Hector Frias told an investigator, the affidavit said. “I did it, but it was an accident. We were married for 37 years.”
Hector Frias also said, according to the affidavit, that he would not have purposefully shot his wife because “it costs about $10,000 to have a funeral and he would not put that financial burden on his family.”
Frias is due back in court Feb. 11 for a preliminary hearing in the case. He is being held in Adams County without bond.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
