Woman Pleads Guilty to Killing Boyfriend

A 29-year-old Encino woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in the strangling of her 68-year-old boyfriend during an argument about the woman’s female lover.

Adele Kathy Rodriguez earlier admitted strangling Stanley Wittman with a strap from a pair of overalls, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Kenneth A. Loveman. Wittman’s decomposed body was found on Sept. 15, 1988, by the building manager in the couple’s Encino apartment in the 5400 block of Newcastle Avenue.

The couple had been arguing about Rodriguez’s female lover, Nancy Ortiz, at the time of the slaying, Loveman said.

A week after the killing, police discovered Ortiz driving the victim’s 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass when she was stopped for a traffic violation. Ortiz told police that Rodriguez had admitted to her that she killed Wittman. Rodriguez was arrested a short time later, authorities said.

The defendant originally pleaded not guilty to one count of murder. However, that charge was dropped in exchange for her plea to the lesser charge, authorities said.

Rodriguez, on parole for a felony burglary conviction at the time of the slaying, remains in custody without bail and is scheduled to return to court on June 20 for sentencing. She faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison.