http://www.smdailyjournal.org/article.cfm?issue=04-02-04&storyID=29512

You may recall the case of Elizabeth Fuentes-Ortiz. As mentioned in an UM segment from the 1992-93 season, she was accused of trying to kill her husband Gilbert Ortiz with a poisoned milkshake. She went on the lam, taking the couple's young son, Jonathan, with her. She was arrested in Mexico in 2000, and Jonathan was soon returned to Gilbert. Two years later, she was convicted of attempted murder, and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.

As mentioned in a recent article at the link above, her appeal has failed. Click on to the link for more details.

That case always infuriated me, a wife so evil she poisoned her husband under the guise the "protein shake" would bulk him up. She lied repeatedly about the origin of the shake, so it's appropriate and predictable she invented a claim of self defense during her trial.

But at least it's fortunate her mother is obviously of similar brainpower. Until reading Kane's link, I had no idea Jonathan was retrieved only when Fuentes-Ortiz's mother brilliantly took him to visit his mother while she was in jail.

did they ever find out why she tried to kill her husband?

did they ever find out why she tried to kill her husband?

I honestly have no clue, but perhaps it was because he only was working as a supervisor at a toy store? I mean, that can't pay very well. My guess is he had a big life insurance payoff and was worth more dead than alive.

Of course, the way she tried to kill him, and her behavior afterward ("That man has Jonathan!!") was completely stupid and dumb. She clearly wasn't a "mastermind" killer. :)

I couldn't agree more, JimmyHendricks. Even the actress who played Elizabeth in the segment was completely unbelievable in the stories she told. I guess that's a situation where limited acting skills came in handy.

I couldn't agree more, JimmyHendricks. Even the actress who played Elizabeth in the segment was completely unbelievable in the stories she told. I guess that's a situation where limited acting skills came in handy.

You know, i could never figure out whether the actress was really bad or if she was just playing a really bad actress:)

You know, i could never figure out whether the actress was really bad or if she was just playing a really bad actress:)

Oh my gosh! Last week I had thought about posting a new thread: "Worst actors/actresses on UM." The woman who played Elizabeth Ortiz was going to my pick of bad re-enactors. She looked uncomfortable and was unbelievable during the entire segment. There was also a story about a woman in Florida who embezzled thousands of dollars from her employer (she worked at either a bank or a credit union). When the money came up missing, she begged her employer to give her some time to get the money back and said her father was going to mail her a check. She later skipped town in the middle of the night. Anyway, she did a poor job of acting too...but not quite as bad as the "actress" who played Mrs. Ortiz.

LOL! :lol: This was an exception, though. You needed a bad actress to play Elizabeth for this segment. The woman obviously wasn't too bright in the first place, she wasn't a good liar and she thought of an incredibly stupid way to try and kill her husband. A good actress wouldn't have worked for this segment.

There was also a story about a woman in Florida who embezzled thousands of dollars from her employer (she worked at either a bank or a credit union). When the money came up missing, she begged her employer to give her some time to get the money back and said her father was going to mail her a check. She later skipped town in the middle of the night. Anyway, she did a poor job of acting too...but not quite as bad as the "actress" who played Mrs. Ortiz.

Oh my god...that's the Lesa Lee case. I totally agree, that actress had the worst Jamaican accent I've ever heard. In one of the commentaries on the DVD's, a director points out that when the actors did a really bad job they would show the filmed footage with Robert talking over the scene. UM would have done better to have made both of these stories one big voice-over. :crazy:

Yeah, we never get tired of this one. :rolleyes:

And to prove it, "That man has Johnathan" is being run yet again today. Keep your eyes glued to the tv for one of UM's most oscar worthy moments. lol

Well you know what is interesting about this case? Not too long before Elizabeth tried to murder Gilbert, the laws were changed in California for attempted murder. Before they were changed, the most you could get for attempted murder was 12 years and under California law, if you behaved yourself in prison you typically would be released on parole after serving half your sentence. The law was changed so you could get up to 25 years to life for attempted murder depending on the circumstances. Certain attempted murders would still fall under the old law but certain types of attempted murder make you eligible for the 25 years to life term.

did they ever find out why she tried to kill her husband?

I just always figured she was a heartless ***** and wanted out of the marriage and decided to do it the easy way.

Didn't Gilbert mention in the segment that he wasn't "buff enough" for his wife? I think he said something like "I work out and I lift weights but I could never get big enough for her". I always thought that was the reason behind what she did as ridiculous of a reason as that would be.

Didn't Gilbert mention in the segment that he wasn't "buff enough" for his wife? I think he said something like "I work out and I lift weights but I could never get big enough for her". I always thought that was the reason behind what she did as ridiculous of a reason as that would be.

I also thought that was her motive.

According to Gilbert, she said that he wasn't her type. If there was no attraction on her part, why did she marry him, sleep with him, and have a kid with him? She had been a pretty woman at one point.... I'm sure she could have gotten a guy with a buff bod (what she wanted) rather than marrying Gilbert and complaining that he was too skinny.

So that makes me wonder how long she had been telling him she wanted him to bulk up and how long he'd been lifting weights to try to change his body type for her. Was this a new thing she brought up so she could just use it as an excuse to feed him that shake, which tasted so awful that she was able to explain away the taste of the poison as just being the flavor of a protein shake?

I don't remember her ever telling Gilbert how it tasted. Remember he never actually drank the shake until the day she gave him the poisoned shake. I would have to know more for sure to know what the true motive was? Did Gilbert have life insurance? If so, how much?

I don't remember her ever telling Gilbert how it tasted. Remember he never actually drank the shake until the day she gave him the poisoned shake. I would have to know more for sure to know what the true motive was? Did Gilbert have life insurance? If so, how much?

I think the way I wrote that sentence (about the flavor of the shake) was confusing. I'll try to make it sound better, but it's 5:00 in the morning, and I'm half asleep, so I'll probably goof it up. lol

The part I remember about the shake was that she brought it to him at work for his lunch hour. I think it was the first time she'd ever given him one of those things. She said something like a friend of hers made it, or told her what to use to make it, because this "friend" knew about muscle building types of drinks and supplements.

I've never tried one of those protein shakes or weightlifters type drinks, but I heard they taste really bad. I think she knew it would taste horrible and that if Gilbert complained, she'd be able to use that as an excuse to encourage him to finish drinking all the poison.

Gilbert drank some of it and commented in the segment that it tasted exceptionally bad, even burning his mouth. I can't remember if he asked her if it was supposed to taste like that, but in the segment he mentioned the bad flavor and burning and said that maybe it was normal for that kind of thing, so he didn't suspect that the drink was laced. I think he drank more of it after that initial surprise at how nasty it was, but I don't know if he finished it.

About the life insurance... I can't remember if they mentioned money as a motive. He worked in a toy store but I don't know if he was as a stock boy, or clerk, or unloaded delivery trucks, or if he managed a department or what. My impression was that he didn't really make enough money to buy life insurance, or wasn't in a high enough position to have it supplied as part of his pay package.

Just for a reference, back in those days, my husband's employer provided a small amount of life insurance in his benefits package. Maybe about $5,000? It was just one of those deals where it would cover final expenses, but wasn't enough to pay off a house or any bills or make him a murder target for the beneficiary of the policy. :D

Elizabeth Fuentes didn't strike me as the kind of person who would understand that kind of thing. To me, she seemed like the type of person who would kill for the tiny life insurance payout and think she'd won the hundred million dollar lottery.

If there was no insurance (or if it was a small amount), maybe she just didn't want to have to pay for a divorce or deal with custody arrangements with her husband over their son. He was still quite young (a toddler?) when all that happened. I could definitely see her as the type who would kill her husband just to not have to deal with divorce and child custody.

This is an article from 2002 about Gilbert Ortiz testifying in Elizabeth Fuentes' trial. I'm just going to go ahead and copy the whole text here because you never know when they are going to pull an article off their site. There's not a whole lot of info here, but it does give us a bit more insight as to what the heck was going on.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2002-01-25/news/17526185_1_shake-poison-gilbert-ortiz

Husband testifies in poison case
Marriage was troubled long before wife gave him tainted drink, he says
January 25, 2002|By Matthew B. Stannard, Chronicle Staff Writer


Still in pain nearly 10 years after he left the hospital, a Daly City man took the stand in San Mateo County Superior Court yesterday to testify against his former wife, who has admitted giving her ex-husband a poisoned milk shake.

Gilbert Ortiz, 32, avoided eye contact with his ex-wife, Elizabeth Fuentes Ortiz, throughout several hours of testimony in which he described the events leading up to his near-fatal shake-induced illness on March 11, 1992.

Elizabeth Ortiz is charged with attempted murder.

Defense attorney Joseph O'Sullivan said in his opening statement Tuesday that his client admits giving her then-husband a health shake laced with Sevin- brand insecticide. But he told jurors that her intent was never murder, but merely escape from a relationship he said was abusive.

Yesterday, Gilbert Ortiz recounted a troubled dating relationship leading to a more-troubled marriage that he said existed only for the sake of the couple's son.

He said the fights culminated in September 1991 with a shoving match that began when he tried to pull the baby away from a precariously placed television set and his wife accused him of hurting the child.

That incident led to Gilbert Ortiz spending a night in jail with scratches on his face, but the couple reconciled, moving into the apartment in East Palo Alto where they were living on March 11, 1992.

That morning, Ortiz testified, Elizabeth Ortiz showed up at his work with a hamburger, french fries and a sport bottle she said contained an amino-acid enriched health shake. Gilbert Ortiz testified that he took the food back to the company lunchroom, popped the top off the bottle and chugged most of the shake.

"It tasted like chocolate, but a little sour, a burning taste," he said. "It felt funny."

Doctors testifying for the prosecution have said the poison in the shake caused his liver and kidneys to fail, his lung to collapse, and his heart to stop while nurses scrambled to keep him alive.

The effects of the poison forced Gilbert Ortiz to crawl for a time after leaving the hospital, he said, and left him with agonizing pain that he still feels in the soles of his feet and the tips of his fingers.

"It's like somebody is tearing off your skin from the inside," he said.

After eight years, during which the case was investigated by Redwood City police and the FBI and was featured on the television show "America's Most Wanted," Elizabeth Ortiz was extradited from Mexico in March 2000.

E-mail Matthew B. Stannard at mstannard AT sfchronicle.com

http://articles.sfgate.com/2002-04-23/bay-area/17542103_1_judge-dale-hahn-parole-ford

Woman sentenced for poisoning husband
She fled to Mexico with son in 1992
April 23, 2002|By Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer


A woman who tried to kill her husband with a poisoned milk shake and then fled with the couple's son to Mexico was sentenced yesterday to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Elizabeth Fuentes Ortiz, 32, was convicted by a San Mateo County jury in February of attempted murder and child abduction after leaving her husband near death in the hospital.

Judge Dale Hahn in Redwood City sentenced Fuentes Ortiz yesterday to life in prison with the possibility of parole on the attempted-murder count and three years each for the child-abduction count and an enhancement of causing great bodily injury.

Fuentes Ortiz had admitted giving her husband, Gilbert Ortiz, a pesticide- laced shake on March 11, 1992. The drink nearly killed him, causing his heart, kidneys and lungs to fail, but doctors and nurses saved him.

After giving conflicting stories to police, Fuentes Ortiz vanished from her East Palo Alto home with the couple's son. Eight years later, she was found in Mexico and extradited.

The life term is appropriate "in light of the enormity of the injury that she inflicted upon her husband," Deputy District Attorney Christine Ford said yesterday. Gilbert Ortiz, 32, still suffers pain associated with nerve damage, she said.

Ford said the defendant's scheme was clever in that it "allowed her to poison him and then buy herself some time to remove her from the scene."

Fuentes Ortiz showed up at Toys R Us in Redwood City, where her husband worked, and gave him the shake, a hamburger and fries, Ford said.

"It tasted like chocolate, but a little sour, a burning taste," Gilbert Ortiz testified in January. "It felt funny. It's like somebody is tearing off your skin from the inside."

The motive in the case was "jealousy and dissatisfaction with the life they had together," Ford said.

But defense attorney Joseph O'Sullivan said yesterday that his client had been a victim of domestic violence and merely believed that the shake would incapacitate Gilbert Ortiz long enough for her to escape from the alleged abuse.

"She regrets what happened, but she says it was occasioned by the way he treated her," O'Sullivan said.

With credit for time served, Fuentes Ortiz will be eligible for parole in four to seven years, O'Sullivan said.

The couple's son now lives with his father in Daly City.

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee AT sfchronicle.com

According to the deputy district attorney, the motive was: "jealousy and dissatisfaction with the life they had together".

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2004/2004_04_07.digest07.shtml

Conviction upheld for woman who gave husband 'poisoned milkshake'

The attempted murder conviction and life sentence of an East Palo Alto woman who tried to kill her husband with a poisoned milkshake have been upheld by a state appeals court in San Francisco.

Elizabeth Fuentes-Ortiz, 34, was convicted in San Mateo County Superior Court in 2002 of trying to poison her husband, Gilbert Ortiz, 10 years earlier.

She delivered the insecticide-laced milkshake along with a hamburger and French fries to her husband for lunch at his job at a Toys R Us store in Redwood City on March 11, 1992.

The next day, as Ortiz lay in critical condition at a hospital, Fuentes-Ortiz fled to Mexico with the couple's 2-year-old son.

Fuentes-Ortiz was arrested by FBI and Mexican authorities in a town near Guadalajara eight years later. The boy was found several months afterward and returned to his father's custody.

While Fuentes-Ortiz was a fugitive, a story about the crime ran several times on the television show "Unsolved Mysteries.''

The poison caused Ortiz to suffer cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, lung collapse and permanent nerve damage.

In a decision made public last week, a three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeal unanimously rejected Fuentes-Ortiz's appeal argument that her trial was flawed because the jury was not instructed that it could find that she acted in self-defense.

Fuentes-Ortiz had claimed she was abused by her husband and feared she was in imminent danger. But the appeals court said there was no evidence that Fuentes-Ortiz had reason to believe she was in immediate danger and that she was therefore not entitled to a self-defense jury instruction.

Fuentes-Ortiz's sentence was for life in prison with possibility of parole, with an additional six years for concealing a child and inflicting great bodily injury.

-- Bay City News Service

Well this is news to me. I'm sure any of you who followed the trial knew this already. In addition to being an abuser, she claimed her husband is a rapist.

I also don't believe her statements (posted in article above) that she poisoned her husband not to kill him, but to incapacitate him so she could run away while he was in the hospital. If he was abusive and she needed to leave him, couldn't she have just packed up and left while he was at work that day? That would have given her plenty of time to escape without nearly killing the guy and maiming him for life.

http://smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?type=opinions&title=From%20the%20archives&id=108096&eddate=04/02/2009

Milkshake poison appeal fails

The woman convicted in 2002 of poisoning her husband and fleeing with the couple’s child to Mexico will remain incarcerated after an appeal bid failed April 1, 2004.

Elizabeth Fuentes-Ortiz, 34, was found guilty of attempting to murder her then-husband, Gilbert Ortiz, in March 1992. The act was considered premeditated and included a special torture circumstance.

On April 22, 2002, Fuentes-Ortiz was sent to prison for life with the possibility of parole. She also received six years concurrently for concealing a child and inflicting great bodily injury.

During her 15-day trial, Fuentes-Ortiz claimed she feared her husband because he was abusive. She also said he raped her the night before she delivered the insecticide-laced beverage to his Toys R’ Us workplace in Redwood City.

The three-person state Court of Appeals unanimously rejected an appeal argument that the jury in her trial was not told it could decide it was an act of self defense.

On March 11, 2002, Fuentes-Ortiz brought her husband the milkshake laced with Ortho-7 insecticide. She told him it was a protein shake intended to help him build muscle mass. Gilbert Ortiz testified that the drink tasted “like chocolate but sour and burning.”

The part I remember about the shake was that she brought it to him at work for his lunch hour. I think it was the first time she'd ever given him one of those things. She said something like a friend of hers made it, or told her what to use to make it, because this "friend" knew about muscle building types of drinks and supplements.

I've never tried one of those protein shakes or weightlifters type drinks, but I heard they taste really bad. I think she knew it would taste horrible and that if Gilbert complained, she'd be able to use that as an excuse to encourage him to finish drinking all the poison.


I take protein shakes routinely on mornings and after working out, and they do not taste particularly bad. I mix the powder with pineapple juice and banana, and it tastes like vanilla.

Like anything, if it tastes like burning in the throat something's very, very, very wrong. :o

I like how in the segment, they commented that the police enacted a warrant for "attempted murder with a special consideration for torture". She was not only dumb enough to create these stupid, inane alibis no one with a sane mind would believe, but also dumb enough to think that drinking insecticide would kill her husband instantly and painlessly. :rolleyes:

In the segment, the (lousy) actress mentions that someone she knew at work recommended protein shakes to help Gilbert bulk up. How did the idea suddenly come up, out of thin air? I doubt it came from Elizabeth, who wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer herself, and if she indeed had the sincere intention to help Gilbert bulk up so that he fulfills her fantasies she would have supported him from the beginning of his training. I wonder if the guy who suggested him taking the shakes wasn't in fact Elizabeth's fling-of-the-moment, perhaps a colleague she would hook-up with at work or "doing overtime". Perhaps he gave her the idea to spike protein shakes either to drug him or lull him in a false sense of security while he would come over and bone his wife behind his back, but she twisted the idea into poisoning him to get rid of him altogether.

I know we don't know these people and can only judge from the segment, but I think she's a big, fat liar and made up all the abusive allegations about her husband. She has no credibility.

New article on Jonathan beating his dad Gilbert; Elizabeth is still in jail.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_17162934?source=most_viewed

So now sonny boy thinks that dad really beat on her? What a weird turn of events 10 years can take.

Either poor Gilbert never can catch a break, or that was/is a ridiculously dysfunctional family all around. I hope they get it figured out, or at least learn to chill.

I know we don't know these people and can only judge from the segment, but I think she's a big, fat liar and made up all the abusive allegations about her husband. She has no credibility.

We routinely judge people from the segments and the segments alone here. Search any thread on Paul Pollis and see for yourself. :happyface

We routinely judge people from the segments and the segments alone here. Search any thread on Paul Pollis and see for yourself. :happyface

I know. :lol: Just trying to clarify that I can't be positive from the segment alone. We've gotten some angry visitors in these forums about our judgments, unfortunately.

New article on Jonathan beating his dad Gilbert; Elizabeth is still in jail.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_17162934?source=most_viewed

Wow, they must have some interesting family get-togethers on the holidays. Obviously, we don't know Gilbert Ortiz that well, but at face-value (newspaper articles, UM, etc.) he seems to have a pretty crappy family. Maybe he should put himself up for adoption.

This turn of events is really sad. I used to watch the segment and go, "Wow, Jonathan is my age." and then once they found him "Yayy, I'm so happy for them." It's too bad that he's now abusive. His mother most likely brainwashed him.

That is a sad turn of events. Sounds like Gilbert was trying to protect his son. You gotta feel for the guy and everything he has been through. I can't believe how much Jonathan looks like his dad!

I always felt sorry for Gilbert. Elizabeth tried to kill him and accused him of various things. She probably managed to brain wash Jonathan aganist Gilbert.

That was some pretty bad acting, but the guy playing Gilbert wasn't that great either.

and just so you know the story ws al from the husband's side of the story not elizabeth's and she had a very hard life and tried to get out but was threatened and abused. What happened is only a view of husband not wife or son.

and just so you know the story ws al from the husband's side of the story not elizabeth's and she had a very hard life and tried to get out but was threatened and abused. What happened is only a view of husband not wife or son.

and how do you know this???

In all fairness to UM, they could not present her side of the story since she after she POISONED her husband she fled the country with his son.

I won't claim to know anything about their marraige and if he verbally or physically abused her, but not an excuse for attempted murder and parental kidnapping. This isnt the 1950's anymore where battered wives are just told by authorities to "deal with it" She could have done lots of things to change her situation, but she chose crime.

I firmly believe that justice has been done. It's a shame that there wasn't a happier ending for everyone involved, Elizabeth included.

Because I've known elizabeth since 9th grade and know that as soon as she got money saved she was going to move out. But she feared hubby very much. And I was in contact with her the day before all this happened. And she told me hubby was getting more abusive to her and baby and she feared he was going to hurt baby badly. Then all this happens and I don't hear from her untiol I see on the tv what happened and the next contact I ad with her was in redwood city county jail. She was protecting her and her son by leaving not running from a crimebut running for her life cause she knew hubby would blame her for this and take son. So yes I know.

Because I've known elizabeth since 9th grade and know that as soon as she got money saved she was going to move out. But she feared hubby very much. And I was in contact with her the day before all this happened. And she told me hubby was getting more abusive to her and baby and she feared he was going to hurt baby badly. Then all this happens and I don't hear from her untiol I see on the tv what happened and the next contact I ad with her was in redwood city county jail. She was protecting her and her son by leaving not running from a crimebut running for her life cause she knew hubby would blame her for this and take son. So yes I know.

Did they teach you and Elizabeth spelling, grammar, capitalization and puncuation in 9th grade?

Did they teach you and Elizabeth spelling, grammar, capitalization and puncuation in 9th grade?


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I was thinking the same thing..but apparently you missed the spelling lesson in 9th grade too? Sorry too easy :)


No matter, whether an abusive relationship or not (hey, I doubt it was, but I can't confirm it, Poisoning someone is NOT a legit way out of it....She's not defendable, sorry

Friend or not... How can anyone justify attempted murder? I'm in disbelief.

Ur childish have a good day

I'm not a liberity to say but there is no real proof just hear say I know there was abuse. Have a good day

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I was thinking the same thing..but apparently you missed the spelling lesson in 9th grade too? Sorry too easy :)



Oh man! How did that happen? :lol:

I'm not a liberity to say but there is no real proof just hear say I know there was abuse. Have a good day

So no "real proof" of abuse, but on rumors of abuse it is okay to attempt to kill someone (and come close to succeeding)?

Wow. Right.

Move on...

If phantom's comments about speaking with Elizabeth the day before she poisoned Gilbert are true, I think she was lying when she was complaining to him/her about Gilbert abusing her and the baby. It wouldn't have been the first time a criminal lied to "witnesses" in order to set the scene for what they had planned. Also, if true, it seems to make the attack on Gilbert look even more premeditated.

what ever she was not going to hurt him she was going to divorce him as soon as she had a way to. Elizabeth is a caring person she is not the person you all make her out to be.

what ever she was not going to hurt him she was going to divorce him as soon as she had a way to. Elizabeth is a caring person she is not the person you all make her out to be.

Because a "caring person" tries to kill someone by poisoning?!? Boy, nothing says "I care" like a milkshake full of poison so you can die a slow, horrible death.

Oh man! How did that happen? :lol:

McKean's Law :happyface

"Any correction of the speech or writing of others will contain at least one grammatical, spelling, or typographical error."


That said... Yes, phantom1369, your grammar and spelling are atrocious. But not as atrocious as your attempts to defend this woman across the forum.

Yeah...knowing someone since the 9th grade doesn't make you an expert on their life. :rolleyes2

OMG! I just watched this segment and did a search and found this thread. The first two pages are very informative, and the next two pages are f'n hilarious!!!!!!! You guys always crack me up! :)

"That man has Jonathon!" LOL

what ever she was not going to hurt him she was going to divorce him as soon as she had a way to. Elizabeth is a caring person she is not the person you all make her out to be.... She did, though.

This is another interesting thread. Can't believe I missed it.

... She did, though.

This is another interesting thread. Can't believe I missed it.

I know, right? I can't believe I missed this thread, either. I mean what's with this "friend" and his/her excuses? Elizabeth ran off to Mexico anyway, so she could have done that without doing anything to Gilbert. Crazy biatch!!!

And actually, a lot of people here think the actress that played her was BAD. I disagree. I think the actress looked and acted not too bright, uncomfortable, and unconvincing...exactly how Elizabeth Ortiz would have appeared to anyone that spoke with her about the incident. So, I think the actress was bang on. She was supposed to be a bit dumb and that's exactly how she came off.

Hi everyone,
I'm not sure if this has already been posted but I thought to share here. I found this article from August 2012 and thought to link to this thread. I googled Elizabeth's name and stumbled across this article where her son is now facing another prison charge. He and two other men stabbed and beat another man outside of a restaurant. I'm not sure if there are any follow ups to the story.


http://archives.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=1752814

Trio charged in stabbing
August 11, 2012, 05:00 AM By Michelle Durand Daily Journal Staff



The son of a woman imprisoned for poisoning her husband with a laced milkshake and kidnapping the boy to Mexico for years is now himself facing incarceration in the assault of a man at a Redwood City taqueria last month.
Jonathan Fuentes Ortiz, along with alleged accomplices Juan Carlos Madero, 30, and Robert Gallegos, 29, are charged with felony assault and gang charges in the July 21 incident. On Friday, Gallegos pleaded not guilty and was ordered back to court Sept. 19 for a preliminary hearing. Ortiz, 22, and Madero were arrested before Gallegos and had already entered not guilty pleas. They are also due back in September when the cases of all three will be consolidated.
The three are accused of beating a man and assaulting him with a broken bottle at Tacos El Grullense at 768 Woodside Road in Redwood City. Police say surveillance video and witnesses indicated the men, all known gangmembers, attacked the man who was later treated at a hospital for serious facial injuries.
For Ortiz, the new case comes less than a year after he was sentenced to jail and rehab for attacking his father in 2010. He also received a five-year suspended prison term which will kick in if convicted in the new case. According to prosecutors at the time, Ortiz blamed his father for his mother’s imprisonment.
Ortiz was just 2 years old in March 1992 when his mother, Elizabeth Fuentes , fed his father a chocolate milkshake mixed with a bug killer and fled the country to her native Mexico. Fuentes was located and arrested in 2000 on attempted murder charges but her son remained missing until his grandmother brought the boy to the San Mateo County women’s jail for a visit. A sharp-eyed deputy connected the child to an age-enhanced drawing commissioned by authorities searching for him. Ortiz was then reunited with the father, Gilbert Ortiz, who survived the poisoning. Elizabeth Fuentes was convicted and sentenced to 13 years to life in prison. She was denied parole for the first time in January 2010. She is next eligible in 2015.

I feel so awful for Gilbert :( He spent years trying to get his son back only to have him attack him and now become a violent criminal.