Resurrection Walk

Slain Hero Deputy’s Ex-Wife Convicted By Scott Anderson, Times Staff Writer

The former wife of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy once lauded for his bravery was sentenced to prison Thursday for killing him after a dispute over the custody arrangements of their young son.

Lucinda Sanz, 34, pleaded no contest to a single count of manslaughter in Los Angeles Superior Court. Under a plea agreement, she was sentenced by Judge Adam Castle to a term of 11 years in prison.

Sanz had maintained her innocence in the killing of Deputy Roberto Sanz. He was leaving the Quartz Hill home where his ex-wife and son lived when he was shot twice in the back. He died on the front lawn of the house. The son did not witness his father’s killing.

The defendant’s attorney, Frank Silver, explained that his client had no choice but to take the deal offered by prosecutors.

“I know she has been steadfast in claiming she’s innocent,” Silver said. “But the evidence was stacked against her. At some point the reality was that she could throw the dice and go to trial and likely end up spending the rest of her life behind bars, or she could be assured of some daylight. She’s a young woman. If she does well, she’ll get out and still have a life and her son waiting for her.”

The couple had a long history of domestic issues, including restraining orders, court-appointed child-visitation monitors, and a past assault charge against Lucinda Sanz that was later dismissed. On the day of the killing, she sent her ex-husband several threatening text messages. No weapon was recovered at the scene, but sheriff’s investigators said that the defendant had enough time to hide the gun and that her hands and clothing tested positive for gunshot residue after the shooting.

“Where was the gun?” Silver said. “That’s always going to bother me. I think I could have done something with that at trial, but I had to go with my client’s wishes. She wanted to take the deal.”

It was Lucinda Sanz who initially called 911, and investigators said there was a nine-minute response time, giving her ample opportunity to hide the gun. Multiple searches of the house and the surrounding area did not produce the gun, and investigators have not ruled out the possibility that there was an accomplice to the crime who secreted the weapon.

Roberto Sanz, 35, was an 11-year veteran of the sheriff’s department. He was assigned to the Antelope Valley substation, where he was part of a gang-suppression team. A year before his death he received the sheriff’s medal of valor after being engaged in a gun battle with four gang members who ambushed him at a hamburger stand. Sanz shot and killed one of the assailants and wounded another; the two others were never identified or apprehended.

By pleading no contest — technically, nolo contendere — Lucinda Sanz did not have to acknowledge in court killing her ex-husband. Her mother and brother watched as she was led off to prison. Part of the plea agreement included her placement at the California Institution for Women in Chino so that she could be close to family, including her son, who will be raised by his grandmother.

“This isn’t how it should be,” Muriel Lopez, Lucinda Sanz’s mother, said outside court. “She should be raising her son. Roberto always threatened to take him away from her. In his death he finally did.”