Charged in Fatal Stabbing of Wife : Murder Case Dropped Against Brothers

Murder charges were dismissed Friday in San Fernando Municipal Court against three brothers accused of killing one brother’s wife to collect $100,000 in life insurance.

After a six-day preliminary hearing, Judge Paul I. Metzler dismissed charges of murder and conspiracy to commit a crime against Salvador Arriagas Rodriguez, 34, and his brothers, Francisco, 19, and Jose, 25.

The three men had been held in County Jail since they were arrested Dec. 10 in connection with the death of Salvador’s wife, Ana Maria Ruiz-Fregoso, who was stabbed 30 times in the early morning hours of Nov. 24 in front of her Pacoima home. They were released Friday, much to the relief of the more than 20 relatives and friends who attended the proceedings.

Metzler said he concluded that the “case was built on insufficient circumstantial evidence.” He said Ruiz-Fregoso could have been attacked by an unknown assailant.

Police never found a murder weapon, and no blood was found on Francisco or his clothing.

Death Penalty

If the Rodriguez brothers had been convicted, they could have received the death penalty because the complaint against them alleged that Francisco lay in wait for Ruiz-Fregoso and stabbed her.

The complaint said that Salvador had gone to Olive View Hospital with his brothers and two children the morning of his wife’s murder, claiming he was ill. The complaint alleged that Francisco left the hospital briefly to kill Ruiz-Fregoso, then quietly returned.

Under the law, all those involved in a criminal conspiracy are held equally responsible, even if only one person actually committed the crime.

“A $100,000 insurance policy doesn’t seem like enough of a motive when we know Salvador could have insured his wife’s life for $1.5 million and paid the same,” Metzler said. “I can only presume that the case has gotten this far because one or more of the defendants did not pass a lie detector test.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Myron L. Jenkins declined to comment after the hearing. But another person close to the case said polygraph tests taken by the brothers indicated they were not telling the truth when questioned about Ruiz-Fregoso’s murder. Results of polygraph tests are not admissible in court.