Pablo Padilla pleads to second-degree murder of wife, gets 18 years in prison

Trial scheduled for Ribera man accused of killing his wife in RR

Pablo Padilla was arrested for murder, among other charges, after allegedly shooting his wif…

Padilla to be held without bond pre-trial

The man who is accused of killing his wife in front of their kids in Rio Rancho will be held…

Ribera man charged with murder in Sandoval County

A Ribera man has been arrested for murder, among other charges, after allegedly shooting his…

BERNALILLO — A man who shot and killed his wife in front of their children while traveling through Sandoval County and took her to Sandoval Regional Medical Center, causing it to lock down in April last year, pleaded no contest to charges against him.

Pablo Padilla, 37, of Ribera, pleaded to second-degree murder and child abuse Sept. 8. Judge Christopher Perez sentenced him to 18 years in the Department of Corrections, according to court records.

According to a release from the Rio Rancho Police Department at the time, Padilla and Desirae Lussow, both of Ribera, were driving to Rio Rancho with their three children (ages 15, 3 and 1) when an argument escalated. Padilla allegedly grabbed an AR-15 rife that he stored next to the driver’s seat and shot her in the head. He then drove to Sandoval Regional Medical Center for treatment, arriving around 5:05 p.m., where Lussow died, the release stated.

Padilla’s plea came one week before he was scheduled for trial.