Woman Accused of Shooting Husband Had Reported Abuse Earlier

A woman accused of gunning down her estranged husband Saturday in front of police and her 11-year-old son had a restraining order against the man that expired last month, and had reported being abused by him several times in the past, police said.

While her son and officers stood by helplessly, police said, 31-year-old Edna Reyes shot and killed her estranged husband, Martin Reyes, a 32-year-old farm laborer. The shooting occurred after a dispute, about 8:30 p.m. Saturday night in front of Edna Reyes’ apartment in the 1600 block of 5th Street in Oxnard, police said.

Two officers reportedly knocked the gun from Edna Reyes’ hands after the shooting, but it was picked up by her 11-year-old son, who pointed it at the officers shouting “No!”

The officers wrestled the gun out of the boy’s hands and then arrested his mother.

Edna Reyes’ four children--who neighbors said were between 3 and 11 years old--were placed in the care of the county social services agency, police said.

Officers said they had responded several times to domestic dispute calls at the home and that there was a restraining order against the husband until last month. Authorities said Edna Reyes had reported being assaulted by her husband, but they were unable to provide details of the allegations.

Earlier Saturday evening, neighbors had alerted police that the couple were having a heated argument.

“We got a domestic disturbance call, we responded and at the front door the officers determined that no violations of the law had occurred,” said Senior Officer Tom Chronister. “So, [Edna Reyes] decided to leave the apartment with her kids.”

While Martin Reyes was talking to officers in the parking lot outside the Mira Loma Apartments, Edna Reyes went into the apartment to collect her things, police said.

She came out and walked behind her husband while he was speaking with the officers, police said. Then, Chronister said, she reached into her purse, pulled out a handgun and shot her husband twice in the chest, killing him instantly.

Cynthia Hernandez, 22, who lives next door to Edna Reyes, said Monday that her neighbor had been struggling on her own since returning from Mexico two months ago.

“He hit her, you know,” Hernandez said. “And she was worried about her children, about her daughters.”

Standing next to the bloodstained spot where Reyes had shot her husband, Hernandez said Reyes had been able to avoid her estranged husband since coming back from Mexico.

“I think this was the first time he had come by since then,” she said. “He was coming by to see the kids, and then they just started to argue again. That’s when the police came.”

Hernandez said the dispute seemed to be settled when the shooting occurred.

“They seemed to have left it in a good way, you know, they seemed to be at peace, and then she shot him,” Hernandez said.

Edna Reyes was booked into the Ventura County Jail on Saturday on suspicion of murder. She is scheduled to be arraigned today.