A tragic case in Central California has left a family shattered after a longtime husband allegedly killed his wife in front of their children before dying in a violent standoff with deputies the next day.
Husband Allegedly Kills Wife at Family Gathering
Authorities say 43-year-old Michael Rocha fatally shot his wife, Yesennia Rocha, also 43, during a family gathering in Reedley on Saturday. The couple had been married for 25 years and were childhood sweethearts but had reportedly been separated for the last two months.
After the shooting, Rocha fled the scene in his Chevy truck, sparking a manhunt across the region.
Deadly Pursuit and Shootout
On Sunday morning, Rocha’s truck was spotted in Woodlake, about 30 miles from Reedley. Deputies attempted to stop him, but he allegedly fired a rifle at them during the chase.
Around 1 p.m., Rocha stopped near Road 222 and Avenue 340 just outside Woodlake. According to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, he got out of the vehicle and began firing multiple rounds at deputies. Officers returned fire, striking him. Rocha was pronounced dead at the scene.
Because deputies were involved in the shooting, the Visalia Police Department is handling that part of the investigation.
Motive: A Broken Marriage
Family members told local reporters that Rocha had struggled to cope with the end of his marriage. His mother, Rita Rocha, suggested divorce was the breaking point.
“He couldn’t cope with her filing for divorce,” she told ABC affiliate KFSN. “He didn’t want to live without his sweetheart, his soulmate. He didn’t want her to live without him, so he chose the cowardly way out.”
Children Left to Grieve
The couple’s adult children are now mourning the loss of their mother while grappling with the actions of their father.
“I just wish I could see her one more time, hold her one more time, tell her I love her, give her a hug, but that man took everything away from us,” their son, Jacob Rocha, said.
“She was the light of our world,” daughter Kayla Rocha added. “She shined very bright. She was always there for me and my brother. She was everything to us.”
A Community in Shock
The tragedy has devastated Reedley and nearby communities, where the Rochas were known as a couple who had grown up together and built a life over decades. Now, their family is left grieving two lives lost to a chain of violence rooted in heartbreak and despair.
