Man, 83, Held in Slaying of His Wife, 70 : Crime: Woman’s body found in bathtub after call from husband. Police speak of ‘blunt force trauma to the head.’

An 83-year-old Anaheim man was arrested Monday on suspicion of killing his 70-year-old wife, whose body was found in their bathtub, police said.

Clodomiro Giraud called police at about 11:25 a.m. Monday and said his wife, Hortense, had been killed in their bathroom and “that he was responsible,” said Sgt. Chet Barry of the Anaheim Police Department. Police arriving at the home in the 800 block of North Lenz Drive said Hortense Giraud had suffered “some type of blunt force trauma to the head,” Barry said.

After questioning by police, Giraud was booked on suspicion of murder, although Barry said investigators were “still attempting to piece together the details of what actually transpired . . . and what the motive is for this homicide.” Police would not say whether a weapon was found.

Upset relatives arriving at the house late Monday would not comment.

Neighbor Ethel Brenner, who has lived in the quiet, neat neighborhood for 37 years, said the Girauds had lived in their house for four years and “were very nice people, particularly the husband.”

“I just saw him in the yard today, and I was over there the other day. . . . They always invited me in. He came to my house the day before yesterday to pick some of my pomegranates.”

Brenner said police investigators who had talked to her about the Girauds said there was some question about whether the death had been an accident.

“They said (Hortense Giraud) fell in the bathroom,” Brenner said. “But the lady who questioned me said they thought he had pushed her. They took him away in handcuffs.”

Clodomiro Giraud was friendly and gregarious, while Hortense Giraud “was a little harder to get to know, she seemed a little distant,” Brenner said.

Another neighbor, who lived two doors away and did not give his name, said the Girauds were often loud, although he did not know if they were arguing because they spoke Spanish. Neighbors said the Girauds spoke only in Spanish and broken English and that Clodomiro Giraud was from Puerto Rico by way of New York. He also told them he had been born in France, they said.

The Girauds did not work but “appeared to be quite well off,” Brenner said. Clodomiro Giraud enjoyed “puttering around” his immaculate yard but had been slowed recently by some sort of illness, Brenner said.

“I couldn’t tell what he was saying, it was very hard to understand him sometimes,” Brenner said. “But he would put his hand on his heart, so I thought it was a heart problem. Maybe he had a stroke. He used to walk all over town, but since this illness he hasn’t walked much.”

Giraud was booked into Anaheim City Jail awaiting arraignment, Sgt. Ed Pierson said.