Jose Gutierrez-Rosales, accused of beating co-worker, Hector Javier Vasquez to death after having an affair with his ex-girlfriend

✔ Fact Checked by TDPel News Desk

By Samantha Allen

Published: June 20, 2022 | 7:10 PM GMT

A California man was jailed after a coworker was bludgeoned to death with an irrigation pipe because the man was having an affair with his ex-girlfriend and his coworkers were making fun of him.

Jose Gutierrez-Rosales, 49, is accused of assassinating his coworker, Hector Javier Vasquez, 56, on April 18 at a construction site near Lamont, California.

Gutierrez-Rosales told investigators, “We were there taking up the [irrigation] pipes.” ‘I ate approximately two tacos and felt funny in my body, and then all of a sudden, I grabbed the pipe and started shooting at him.’

‘This is for becoming entangled with my family,’ Gutierrez-Rosales told Vasquez as he beat him with the metal pipe, according to Newsweek.

During the tragic attack, Vasquez sustained many facial fractures, slashes to his face, back of his head, and lost several teeth, according to KGET News.

According to accounts, at least one witness tried to urge Gutierrez-Rosales to halt the attack, while others subsequently told detectives they could only see him from a distance and mistook him for a snake.

The scene where Jose Gutierrez-Rosales, 49, is accused of killing his co-worker, Hector Javier Vasquez, 56, on April 18 when the pair were working at a job site, in the area of Di Giorgio Road east of Lamont, California 'We were there picking up the [irrigation] pipes,' Gutierrez-Rosales said. 'I ate about two tacos, and I felt my body like strange, and then all of a sudden, I grabbed the pipe, and I just started going at him.' As he was beating Vasquez with the metal pipe Gutierrez-Rosales uttered the words: 'This is for getting involved with my family,' Newsweek reported On April 28, deputies from the Ken County Sheriff's Department arrested Gutierrez-Rosales who had fled after the attack

Deputies discovered Azquez’s body on Di Giorgio Road later that day after witnesses reported the deadly beating to them.

Vasquez died of numerous blunt force trauma, according to the Kern County Coroner’s Office, and his death was deemed a murder.

Gutierrez-Rosales, who had left the scene of the attack, was apprehended and charged with first-degree murder 10 days later.

He told investigators that his coworkers mocked and ridiculed him about the alleged affair, stating that he was ‘provoked.’

It’s unclear whether Gutierrez-Rosales was married to the lady based on the records.

A woman whose name is redacted from the court documents told investigators she and Gutierrez-Rosales were in a relationship for three months, KGET News reported.

She said they had separated several weeks before the killing because he had anger issues.

Gutierrez-Rosales being held without bail. He is due back in court on June 28.

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About Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen is a seasoned journalist and senior correspondent at TDPel Media, specializing in the intersection of maternal health, clinical wellness, and public policy. With a background in investigative reporting and a passion for data-driven storytelling, Samantha has become a trusted voice for expectant mothers and healthcare advocates worldwide. Her work focuses on translating complex medical research into actionable insights, covering everything from prenatal fitness and neonatal care to the socioeconomic impacts of healthcare legislation. At TDPel Media, Samantha leads the agency's health analytics desk, ensuring that every report is grounded in accuracy, empathy, and scientific integrity. When she isn't in the newsroom, she is an advocate for community-led wellness initiatives and an avid explorer of California’s coastal trails.