A Colorado woman is on trial this week for allegedly killing two children, ages 3 and 5, with the help of their father—then hiding one in a container of hardened concrete and the other in a car trunk for almost ten years—until her own mother grew suspicious, according to police and prosecutors.
Corena Minjarez, 37, faces two counts of first-degree murder of a victim under 12 by a person in a position of trust, as well as two counts of abuse of a corpse. Prosecutors say she killed Jesus Dominguez Jr., 5, and Yesenia Dominguez, 3, in 2018.
Minjarez and the children’s father, Jesus Dominguez, allegedly stored the bodies in a unit at Kings Storage in Pueblo and in a suitcase inside Minjarez’s car. Dominguez reportedly accepted a plea deal, agreeing to plead guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for testifying against Minjarez. The Pueblo Chieftain reported that testimony from police detectives described the couple’s volatile relationship.
Prosecutors allege Minjarez directed her anger and jealousy—particularly toward the children’s biological mother—at Jesus and Yesenia. Relatives told investigators they had concerns about how she treated the children. In one incident, she allegedly locked Yesenia in a room and forced her to finish eating a carrot. Her teenage son reportedly told her she was being too hard on them.
A friend told police Minjarez once confessed to hiding the children’s bodies after they both died “the exact same way” from what she claimed were accidental causes.
The case broke open when Minjarez’s mother contacted police in January 2024, after growing suspicious about a heavy metal container full of concrete in her daughter’s storage unit. She said she had noticed disturbing signs over the years, including a foul smell coming from Minjarez’s car in the summer of 2018.
On January 20, officers searched the storage unit and found the remains of Yesenia inside the concrete-filled container. Her body was so badly decomposed that an autopsy listed her death as “homicidal violence” but could not determine the exact cause.
Two weeks later, police found Jesus’ remains in a suitcase inside Minjarez’s car, located at a scrap yard. His autopsy also concluded “homicidal violence” as the manner of death. Investigators found no missing person reports had ever been filed for either child.
Jury selection for Minjarez’s trial began Monday, with proceedings expected to run through August 29. Dominguez, who took his plea deal on July 10, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12.
Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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