A Weld County jury found a Greeley man guilty Friday of trying to kill his pregnant girlfriend by hitting her with 10-pound weights.
Earlier in the day, attorneys in the trial of Manuel Rodriguez, 25, wrapped up their arguments and left his fate in the hands of the 12-person jury. He was found guilty on four charges, including attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault.
Rodriguez was arrested just after 2 a.m. Oct. 16, 2016, when police responded to his home in the 400 block of 8th Street in Greeley. According to police and prosecutors, officers found him in the basement, in the process of beating his girlfriend, Maria Mendoza, who was 26 weeks pregnant at the time. Mendoza had tried to call 911, but was unable to speak because Rodriguez was attacking her. The recording of that call, however, which prosecutors played in the courtroom Friday morning, provided a dark insight into what happened that night.
“You’re going to kill me Manuel, stop!” Mendoza pleads in the recording.
Rodriguez answers, “that’s my point,” to which Mendoza responds, “no stop, please, please!”
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