Husband Pleads Not Guilty In Wife's Murder Case

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A Watsonville man accused of killing his wife pleaded not guilty Thursday to a murder charge, court records show.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel first reported the news.

Hernandez, 47, is also facing two enhancements alleging he committed a serious and violent felony. Enhancements can be tacked onto a charge to enhance the punishment.

Hernandez was arrested last month in connection with the death of wife Brenda Becerra, 24. Her body was found in their family car, near Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, hours after she was reported missing, officials said. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office forensic pathologist determined her cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and strangulation.

The couple had two children together, who were safe with family at the time Becerra's disappearance was publicly announced.

Hernandez, a citizen of Mexico, is believed to have fled to Mexico after his wife's disappearance, police said. Officials believe he later re-entered the United States, where he was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Oct. 19 and picked up hours later by Watsonville police.