Colorado father, girlfriend imprisoned after children's remains found in storage unit, suitcase

The Pueblo father of two children whose bodies were discovered in a storage unit and suitcase last year was sentenced Friday to 32 years in state prison. His girlfriend is already serving two life sentences for the kids' murders. 

Jesus Dominguez, 37, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder two months ago. Prosecutors offered the reduced charge after Dominguez agreed to testify against his girlfriend, 37-year-old Corena Rose Minjarez, in her murder trial last month. 

The pair was questioned after Pueblo police officers were called to a storage unit in January 2024 by family members of the couple. Dominguez and Minjarez were being evicted from the storage unit, according to police. Relatives going through the unit became suspicious of a metal container filled with concrete.

Police investigators took over and interviewed Dominguez and Minjarez. Dominguez told detectives he thought both kids were in Arizona.

Police, however, uncovered the remains of Dominguez's 3-year-old daughter, Yesenia, inside the container. 

Warrants were then issued for the arrest of Dominguez and Minjarez. Minjarez was picked up immediately, according to the police department. Dominguez was arrested two days later.

"He was standing on a sidewalk eating pizza when officers approached him," Pueblo PD Sgt. Frank Ortega told CBS Colorado.

Investigators then found a car previously owned by Dominguez at a scrap yard. They searched it and found a suitcase in the trunk. Inside it were the remains of his 5-year-old son, Jesus Dominguez Jr.

Among the charges dropped in Dominguez's plea deal was a misdemeanor for theft of public assistance funds.

"He (Dominguez) was applying for benefits and no one could account for the kids," Ortega said. "He was receiving assistance for the kids at the time they were missing."