St. Cloud mother shot dead at home Saturday night, husband charged with first-degree murder, police say

St. Cloud police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Saturday night at a home in the Hanover Lakes community. They say a domestic dispute led to the death of a woman.

Jose Manuel Otero-Fontanez, 48, was arrested Saturday for shooting his wife, according to a St. Cloud police news release. He is charged with first-degree murder.

At 6:21 p.m., officers responded to several 911 calls reporting a heated domestic dispute at a home in the Hanover Lakes Community off Hickory Tree Road at Nottel Drive. As St. Cloud police approached the front entrance of the home, they were met with gunfire from inside. Instead of returning fire, officers used a drone to assess the situation, which also came under fire from the suspect.

A crisis negotiator managed to reach the suspect by phone and successfully persuaded him to surrender. Inside the house, police discovered the body of a woman in a bathroom. Two children – a 10-year-old and a 24-year-old – were in the house during the incident but were unharmed. It is believed that they made a 911 call.

“Although we are still in the very early stages of the investigation, the crime that occurred here tonight is tragic and senseless,” said Police Chief Douglas Goerke. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the children who lost one of their parents here tonight. We will work with them to ensure they receive the resources they need to cope with this devastating event.”

According to police, the investigation is ongoing and authorities are expected to release further details over the weekend.