Man pleads not guilty to killing wife during Uber ride
SEATTLE — A man accused of drunkenly shooting his wife to death during an Uber ride in Seattle pleaded not guilty Thursday to second-degree murder.
Cameron Espitia, 31, who is jailed on $3 million bail, told investigators he had been drinking and “having a bad night” but didn’t remember what happened during the ride July 2, according to charging documents.
Authorities said he was sitting in the back of the ride-hailing vehicle and his wife, Jennifer Morrison Espitia, 29, was in the front passenger seat.
The driver described hearing a bang and seeing the woman slumped over. The couple had been arguing about whether to attend a wedding after-party, deputy King County prosecutor Jessica Berliner wrote in court papers.
“The defendant decided he was going to ‘cut loose’ at a wedding,” she wrote. “Despite the fact that he was armed with a loaded firearm, he consumed numerous alcoholic drinks and argued with his wife when she wanted him to go home instead of proceeding to the after-party.”
Espitia was flanked by two attorneys, Joseph Alvarado and Kevin Mccabe, during his arraignment before Judge Sean O’donnell in King County Superior Court. Mccabe entered the plea on his behalf.
Espitia, a Coast Guard employee with no criminal history, spoke only to confirm his identity. He faces up to 23 years if convicted.
Relatives and friends of the couple packed the courtroom but left without speaking to reporters. Jennifer Espitia’s sister cried out as the prosecutor recited the charge.
The Uber driver kept driving after the shooting because he feared for his life, police said. Eventually, he pulled over and Espitia got out; the driver then drove another block, stopped and called 911.