H.B. man faces charges of killing wife

A Huntington Beach man will be arraigned Friday on charges of murdering his estranged wife by stabbing her to death in a Starlight Motel room on Oct. 10.

Fidelio Marin, 38, is charged with one felony count for murdering Felix Mendez, 32, and a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon. He faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison if convicted, and is being held on $1 million bail, the Orange County Public Defender’s office said.

Following the murder, when their 17-year-old daughter was unable to reach either of her parents, she climbed through a window and found her dead mother in a pool of blood, authorities said. Marin was found three hours later on a public bus.

Mendez leaves behind four children; the community has rallied to assist the family since their mother’s death.

The arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday at the West Justice Center in Westminster.

— Candice Baker