Wife accused of shooting husband to death while he slept

(9/10/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- A wife is accused of murdering her own husband in his sleep.

It happened on Cannock Chase and Paddock in northwest Harris County. The 911 call came in just after midnight. On the other end of the line was Angela Espinosa, 34, who deputies say told them she killed her husband.

Jaime Espinosa was found in his bed, shot once in the head. Also in the home were the couple's three children. They reportedly slept through the incident. Detectives say Angela told 911 operators that she laid the handgun on the bedside table and sat outside and waited for deputies to arrive. She reportedly said her husband threatened her earlier in the evening and she shot him several hours later in self-defense.

"The thing is, even if there was a threat, the response has to be much closer in time," said Lt. John Denhold with the Harris County Sheriff's office. "If I threaten you with a gun and you shoot me, then it's self-defense. If I threaten you with a gun, and then you wait two or three hours until I go to sleep and then you shoot me, it's really not a self-defense issue."

The couple's three children are in care of relatives at this time. As for the couple, there is still no information on whether or not there have been any domestic disturbance calls at the house before.

Both husband and wife recently served in the National Guard.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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