A California court is preparing to determine whether a man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife in 2018 is mentally competent to stand trial, following a chilling case that shocked the Pasadena community and beyond.
Valentino Gutierrez, 64, faces charges of murder and arson in connection with the brutal killing of his wife, 31-year-old Tiana Alfred. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Gutierrez allegedly strangled Alfred, dismembered her body, and attempted to dispose of the remains by setting them on fire inside a suitcase.
The murder is believed to have occurred on or around January 31, 2018, at the now-closed Dona Rosa Bakery and Taqueria in Pasadena. Authorities say the restaurant had been vacant for several months when Gutierrez allegedly used the location to carry out the killing and dismemberment, Law & Crime reports.
He is accused of then placing parts of Alfred’s body into a suitcase, which he transported by bicycle and Metro train. Gutierrez reportedly exited the Gold Line at the Lincoln/Cypress Station, then rode his bike to a Home Depot parking lot on the 2000 block of Figueroa Street. There, he allegedly attempted to set the suitcase on fire.
“Once the fire was put out, the firefighters found human remains,” the District Attorney’s office said in a statement. Surveillance footage from the area reportedly helped identify Gutierrez, who was subsequently arrested.
Investigators discovered a torso, arms, and legs inside the charred suitcase. LAPD Capt. Billy Hayes, who worked on the case, said, “To dismember an individual like that is pretty grotesque, and it takes an awful lot of effort and determination by an individual, which is pretty cold.”
Deputy Chief Justin Eisenberg called the case a “particularly disturbing homicide because of its sheer brutality.” An autopsy later revealed that Alfred died from strangulation.
At the time of the murder, Gutierrez and Alfred were reportedly living at the Union Station Adult Center in Pasadena. Additional remains—including a head, pelvis, fingertips, and tattooed skin—were found on February 14, 2018, by a cleaning crew at the vacant restaurant. The gruesome discovery further solidified investigators’ timeline and understanding of the crime.
During Gutierrez’s most recent court appearance on July 17, his attorney raised concerns about his mental competency. The criminal proceedings have since been suspended pending a mental-competency hearing, now scheduled for July 31.
To be found mentally incompetent, a defendant must be unable to understand the nature of the legal proceedings or unable to assist in their defense due to mental illness or developmental disability.