Jennifer Espinoza-Orellana
On Monday, a Gaithersburg woman was found guilty of murdering her boyfriend last year.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office (MCSAO), a jury found Jennifer Espinoza-Orellana guilty of second-degree murder for the death of 20-year-old Jose Manuel Zavala Marquez.
After a five-day trial, jurors deliberated for 90 minutes, according to MCSAO. Espinoza-Orellana faces up to 40 years in prison and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 4 next year.
According to police at the time she was charged, in Sept. 2023 Espinoza-Orellana had allegedly stabbed Zavala Marquez in his chest with a knife during an argument outside her home on Shady Spring Drive. She dropped him off at the hospital.
Jose Manuel Zavala Marquez
According to MCSAO, at least four hours passed after the stabbing before she went to the hospital. She first drove to the home of a family member with Zavala Marquez in her vehicle and then drove to a park to meet with someone else. She returned to the hospital that morning and provided false information when questioned by police.
MCSAO stated the knife went through Zavala Marquez’s sternum and pierced his heart.
Photos via MCSAO
