Man accused of killing wife in front of daughter rejects deal, shouts at judge

A man accused of stabbing his wife to death in front of their 7-year-old daughter — and who is already sentenced to 60 years in prison for a probation violation — will soon be headed to trial.

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During a hearing on Wednesday, Onelio Castro-Arroyo, 58, lashed out at a judge, shouting in Spanish that he wanted to represent himself and that he was rejecting a plea offer. The chaotic hearing was marked by Castro-Arroyo rambling and frequently interrupting Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Ellen Sue Venzer as an interpreter translated the proceeding.

Castro-Arroyo is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of his wife, Yanelys Gonzalez Santander, 45. He will go to trial on Oct. 19 after rejecting a 20-year sentence.

“I’m not accepting anything,” Castro-Arroyo shouted in court.

In January, Judge Venzer sentenced Castro-Arroyo to 60 years behind bars for violating the terms of his probation when he was arrested on the murder charge. Castro-Arroyo was out on probation after serving five years in prison for a 2014 gas-station explosion stemming from him siphoning fuel.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Castro-Arroyo went on tirades and demanded that the judge allow him to fire his attorneys because they were “accusing me.” He turned toward the TV cameras and told them to record him “defending myself.”

“I don’t trust this attorney, or you,” he shouted at the judge in Spanish.

After asking Castro-Arroyo a series of questions, Venzer determined Castro-Arroyo isn’t capable of representing himself but ruled that he is competent to stand trial.

The tension between Castro-Arroyo and his attorneys surfaced several times during the proceeding.

One of his attorneys told the judge that Castro-Arroyo doesn’t believe that he was sentenced to 60 years for the probation violation. The attorney said he has explained to Castro-Arroyo that the probation violation has already been appealed, and that the appeals court ruled against him.

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“He doesn’t want to absorb the fact that he’s sitting on a 60-year sentence,” the attorney said.

Looking at Castro-Arroyo, the judge said he is entitled to a jury trial but told him to consider that a jury will hear, as she did during the probation-violation hearing, his 7-year-old daughter testify that she was in the back seat of her mother’s car when Castro-Arroyo stabbed her mother 16 times.

Gonzalez Santander was killed on May 21, 2019, while in the driver’s seat of her car on the 6800 block of NW 179th St., just outside Miami Lakes, according to court records. The girl told investigators that her “daddy killed [her] mother.”

Detectives also located a bloody knife, which had Gonzalez Santander’s DNA on it, in a dumpster outside Castro-Arroyo’s residence, court records say. Castro-Arroyo turned himself in to law enforcement shortly after and admitted to stabbing his wife.

“If you want to go to trial and have that testimony heard again in this courtroom, that’s absolutely what you’re going to get,” Venzer said. “Alternatively, you can resolve the case without getting any additional time to your sentence.”

Castro-Arroyo rejected the plea deal, leading prosecutors to announce that they will be seeking a life sentence if a jury finds Castro-Arroyo guilty.

“I’m in no hurry,” Castro-Arroyo said, slamming his cuffed hands on the wood partition in the jury box.

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“That’s right, because you have 60 years,” replied the judge in a calm tone.