PASADENA, TX – The quiet of an early Sunday morning was shattered in Pasadena when, according to police, a domestic argument took a deadly turn and ended with a woman behind the wheel of an SUV fatally striking her husband on a sidewalk.
Authorities identified the suspect as Alina Gonzalez-Morelos, 37, who is accused of killing her husband, 42-year-old Leonardo Mendoza, in the aftermath of a dispute near their home. The confrontation escalated just before dawn near a pizza restaurant at the busy intersection of Red Bluff Road and Deepwater Avenue, about 15 miles southeast of downtown Houston.
Officers were dispatched to the area after receiving a 911 call around 3 a.m. reporting that a black Chevrolet Tahoe had plowed into a pedestrian on the sidewalk and left without stopping to help. When first responders arrived, they discovered Mendoza suffering from critical injuries. He was transported to a nearby hospital but did not survive.
Investigators learned that the deadly incident followed a verbal altercation between the couple at their residence. According to information obtained from court documents, the argument centered on a text message, though officials have not disclosed specific details about its contents. After the exchange, Mendoza reportedly left the house on foot.
Police allege that Gonzalez-Morelos got behind the wheel of her SUV and deliberately steered onto the sidewalk, running over Mendoza as he walked. Investigators say the vehicle also crashed through two poles before striking him. Authorities described the investigation as meticulous, with detectives working to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the collision.
During interviews with police, Gonzalez-Morelos allegedly admitted to intentionally accelerating onto the sidewalk and targeting her husband with the vehicle. She was taken into custody at the Pasadena Police Department headquarters while detectives gathered evidence.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has since assumed control of the case. After initial processing in Pasadena, Gonzalez-Morelos was scheduled to be transferred to the Harris County Joint Processing Center to await formal charges and potential court proceedings.
As of Monday, police had not released details regarding possible prior incidents of domestic disputes involving the couple. The investigation in Mendoza’s death is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward as the case moves through the legal system.
Gonzalez-Morelos remains in custody on a first-degree murder charge. If convicted, she could face significant prison time under Texas law. Records do not indicate whether she has obtained legal representation.