HAYWARD, Calif. - A 35-year-old man made his initial court appearance to face a murder charge for allegedly strangling his girlfriend at their South San Francisco home, San Mateo County prosecutors said Thursday.
Eduar Pajoy-Delgado is accused of killing Maria Romero Molina, 28, in a case of domestic violence at a residence on Brunswick Court early Monday morning.
According to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, Pajoy-Delgado and Romero Molina both emigrated from Colombia last year and were living in at the residence with several other people. At about 1:45 a.m. Monday, their roommates called their landlord to complain about a disturbance created by the couple yelling and arguing.
Family grieves as Hayward police search for man accused of killing ex-wife
Lorenzo Smith is mourning the loss of his niece Monique Aldridge of Hayward. Her family is struggling with her sudden death — the victim of gun violence. The suspect is her ex-husband.
Prosecutors said Pajoy-Delgado then called 911 around 3 a.m. to report Romero Molina was in their bedroom and not breathing. Investigators responded and found her non-responsive with strangulation injuries to her neck and Pajoy-Delgado with fresh scratch marks to his face, and concluded he allegedly strangled her during an argument.
Pajoy-Delgado was in court Wednesday to face the murder charge but did not enter a plea. The county's Private Defender Program was appointed to represent him, and the case was continued to May 24 for further arraignment, according to the District Attorney's Office. He remains in custody on no bail status.