Bell Gardens mayor dragged wife by hair, autopsy report says
BELL GARDENS, Calif. (KABC) -- Bell Gardens Mayor Daniel Crespo was fatally shot three times in the chest by his wife, according to the autopsy report released Friday.
Crespo, 45, was shot and killed on Sept. 30 in his Bell Gardens home in the 6300 block of East Gage Avenue.
Crespo's family and their attorney, James Devitt, say Crespo's wife, Lyvette Crespo, shot and killed the mayor in cold blood, not self-defense.
"I have a feeling we're going to have an indictment or an arrest by Christmas, is my hope," Devitt said at news conference Friday.
Sheriff's deputies say the late mayor and his wife were arguing when the couple's 19-year-old son intervened, leading to a struggle between the mayor and his son. That's when his wife Lyvette shot him three times.
"The son tried to intervene, and there was a physical struggle between father and son," said L.A. County Sheriff's Lt. Steve Jauch. "Ultimately, the wife produced the firearm. That's when she shot her husband."
Lyvette told investigators it was self-defense. Her attorney said his client had been a longtime victim of domestic violence.
The couple's daughter also told investigators that her father was verbally and physically abusive to her mother for over 20 years. He had been known to drag his wife by her hair to force her to sleep in the same bedroom, the autopsy report said. Crespo had also threatened to kill her and the children if she tried to report the abuse, the report said.
His brother, William Crespo, denied the abuse. He alleges that Lyvette Crespo also had a temper and wanted his brother dead.
"These allegations of rape and brutality are false. If there's anyone these children need to be afraid of it's their mother," said William Crespo.
Lyvette's attorney refused to comment following Friday's news conference. A spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office told Eyewitness News that the case is still under investigation. A ruling, however, could come right after the first of the year.
