Potential Death Penalty for Kings County Man Accused of Murdering Ex-Girlfriend and Abducting Daughters

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. — The death penalty is being considered for a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and taking his daughters to Mexico.

Cameras were not allowed in a Kings County Courtroom on Monday afternoon as Jonathan Maldonado Cruz, 23, who is suspected of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend, Madeline Rose Cuevas, 22, appeared in court for the first time.

Authorities say Maldonado-Cruz also kidnapped their two toddler daughters and took them to Mexico before safely handing them over to authorities and turning himself in at the border.

On Monday, he learned the charges he would be facing.

“So, our office did review all of the police reports, and we moved forward and filed a complaint against the defendant. The charges are murder in the 1st degree with the special circumstances of lying in wait along with the gun enhancement,” Kings County District Attorney Sarah Hacker said.

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Hacker adds the lying in wait enhancement means Maldonado could face the death penalty if and when the case moves forward, “and a jury ends up finding for the death penalty, then the defendant would be looking at death row. If, for some reason, we do a death penalty review and we decide that death penalty is not an appropriate punishment. In this case, then, even so, the defendant is looking at life without the possibility of parole.”

Hacker says they believe their evidence shows Madeline was caught off guard, and unaware of Maldonado’s plan.

“We believed that there was enough evidence to show that the defendant had set up a circumstance where the victim would have been in a situation where she wouldn’t have known about the defendant’s malicious intent, she would have been caught unaware, and the defendant would have had an opportunity to take advantage of the victim’s unawareness,” says Hacker.

On Wednesday, Maldonado will have an opportunity to meet with his attorney, have his attorney accept representation, and then enter a plea.

Hacker says this is the very beginning of the criminal justice process and a trial could be months away.

“So sometimes, it does take as long as a year, or even two years, for a homicide to go to trial and reach some time, some kind of conclusion,” explains Hacker.

Maldonado is expected to be back in court on Wednesday.