A Colorado man has been sentenced to more than three decades in prison for one of the state’s most disturbing child abuse cases, the brutal killings of his two young children, whose bodies were hidden under shocking conditions for years.
Jesus Dominguez, 37, was sentenced on Friday in Pueblo County to over 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the deaths of his 5-year-old son, Jesus Dominguez Jr., and 3-year-old daughter, Yesenia.
Prosecutors said Dominguez took a plea deal in July, agreeing to testify against his girlfriend, 37-year-old Corena Minjarez, who was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for what authorities described as an act of “homicidal violence.”
According to prosecutors, the couple concealed their crimes in horrifying ways. Yesenia’s remains were hidden inside a container filled with hardened concrete in a Pueblo storage unit, while Jesus Jr.’s body was discovered inside a suitcase stuffed in the trunk of a Pontiac that was later abandoned at a scrapyard.
Court testimony revealed that the children’s deaths came from severe abuse during struggles with potty training. Prosecutors said Minjarez, who was heavily involved in drugs, inflicted repeated cruelty, including forcing the children to sit inside trash bags to avoid “urine in her car,” and even using a high-pressure water hose at a car wash on Jesus Jr., leaving injuries near his groin.
On March 14, 2018, Yesenia soiled herself and was forced into a trash bag in the car. She later stopped breathing. Instead of seeking medical help, Minjarez and Dominguez hid her body inside a tote bag, then later in a suitcase stored at their Pueblo residence.
Weeks later, Jesus Jr. also died under eerily similar circumstances. Dominguez testified that Minjarez announced their son had stopped breathing in the backseat. His body was wrapped in layers of garbage bags, stuffed into a suitcase, and abandoned in the Pontiac trunk.
For months, the couple continued living in the car and storage unit, even using drugs around the decomposing remains. The smell of death began to surface, ultimately raising suspicions among family members.
It wasn’t until January 2024 that Minjarez’s mother alerted authorities after finding a suspicious container while helping the pair move belongings. Police later discovered the children’s remains, confirming the grisly cover-up.
Chief Trial Deputy Kyle McCarthy and Senior Deputy District Attorney David Dingess emphasized the challenges in proving the case.
“Child abuse often does not have many witnesses, and this case was no different,” they wrote in a press release. “This made the collaborative effort of the law enforcement and prosecution team all the more important.”
Despite defense claims that Dominguez acted alone, prosecutors argued the evidence clearly demonstrated Minjarez’s direct responsibility for both deaths.
Dominguez’s plea deal ensures he will spend decades behind bars, while Minjarez will serve life in prison. Prosecutors said Dominguez’s testimony was crucial in helping jurors understand the years of abuse, the horrifying attempts to hide the children’s deaths, and the tragic consequences of drug-fueled neglect.
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