Rictor

Man Arrested For Running Over Ex-Wife
Fri Jan 2, 9:12 PM ET

A man, recently divorced from his wife of more than 30 years, is in jail tonight charged with murdering his ex-wife.

Detectives say on New Years night, Ortillo Pedrosa flew back to South Florida from Cuba. He had been in Cuba only a month, since his divorce was finalized. After landing in Miami, Pedrosa went to see his ex-wife Miriam. The relationship had been rocky in recent months.

"From what I have been told they have had problems in the past," said Dianne Carhart with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Over the Thanksgiving Day weekend law enforcement was called. The suspect was arrested during the Thanksgiving Day weekend. But the victim did not want to prosecute and the charges were dropped."

This time, their argument ended much worse. Detectives say Ortillo confronted Miriam at her Palm Springs home. They argued, but then they both got into her car, and took off.

Detectives say they headed up Congress Avenue ... and as the car approached Summit, Miriam apparently tried to get out. Cops say Ortillo knocked her over with the car door then backed the car over her 3 or four times in the middle of Congress.

Ortillo then sped off and may have tried to end his own life, slamming the car into a fence at Florida Mango. He survived, and now faces a first-degree murder charge. Pedroso had been arrested twice before in Palm Beach County. One time for assault with a pick ax.