Not Guilty Plea Entered in Slaying of Musician’s Wife

A convicted felon accused of murdering his half-sister, the wife of Los Lobos band member Cesar Rosas, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and kidnapping charges.

Gabriel Gomez, 39, of Whittier, could face the death penalty for the kidnapping and murder of Sandra Rosas, 47, of Rowland Heights. A official with the district attorney’s office said prosecutors will not announce if they will seek the death penalty until a preliminary hearing Jan. 27.

If Gomez is convicted of murdering Gomez during a kidnapping he would be eligible for the death penalty, the district attorney’s office said.

Citrus Municipal Court Judge Dennis A. Aichroth denied bail for Gomez during Tuesday’s arraignment in a West Covina courtroom. Gomez has been in custody since Oct. 23 for an unrelated parole violation. In 1989, a Fresno court found Gomez guilty of arson.

Sandra Rosas disappeared mysteriously from her home on Oct. 23. Her daughters returned home to find broken glass in the driveway where her minivan had been parked. The front door to their home was open and their mother was gone.

Days later, the van was found on a La Puente Street with the keys in the ignition.