EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – A California man accused of killing his missing wife, whose body was found Friday, allegedly murdered her to prevent her from testifying about a crime she witnessed, court documents revealed Tuesday, according to a report.
Anthony Gumina of Pleasant Valley, Calif., about 50 miles east of Sacramento, was in court Tuesday, four days after the body of Heather Gumina Waters was found in the Pleasant Valley area. She had been missing since July 15.
“Heather Gumina was a witness to a crime and was intentionally killed to prevent her from testifying in a criminal proceeding,” the criminal complaint says, according to FOX 40.
The husband has a history of violence, FOX 40 reported. In January, he was charged with tackling his wife while she held their 4-year-old son and tried to prevent her from calling 911.
Moreover, Gumina was also charged with breaking his wife’s collarbone the night before she went missing.
It’s not clear what “criminal proceeding” the complaint refers to her witnessing, but it may have been the January attack, FOX 40 reported.
Gumina was also accused of threatening to kill a former business partner and burn down his house in 2017. He reportedly kicked in the man’s front door, pushed him to the ground and drove away in his backhoe, according to the station.
Furthermore, he tested positive for opioids and methamphetamine at the time.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday on Facebook that Anthony Gumina, 44, was initially arrested on an outstanding no-bail warrant for domestic violence. However, in addition to prior outstanding cases, he now faces the charge of murder.
