Skip to Content

Woman won’t mourn father killed in Indio police shooting

Morlita Wiggins says on Monday, she received a phone call from her father.

“I said, ‘Daddy why are you calling me from Anna Marie’s phone? Where is Anna Marie, daddy?’ He said, ‘I killed that B,'” said Wiggins.

He called her after police say he shot and killed 50-year-old Anna Marie Gonzalez in her car at the Las Brisas Apartments in Indio.

Police say 47-year-old Karl Watson shot Gonzalez and then fought with a responding police officer. That’s when a second officer shot and killed Watson,police said.His daughter believes jealousy triggered the violence.

“He could not handle Anna Marie breaking it off with him, and he began to stalk her,” said Wiggins.

Gonzalez filed a restraining order against Watson in February after the two dated for nearly a year. Wiggins claims her father began taunting Gonzalez with text messages, emails and phone calls.

“I told her, ‘Even though he’s my father, you need to get a restraining order against him because this is dangerous,'” she said.

Wiggins spoke with Gonzalez on the phone just 45 minutes before she died — warning thather father hadfound out where Gonzalez worked.

“She said, ‘Get away from me Karl, I will call 911,'” said Wiggins.

Gonzalez told Wiggins she drove away and would call her back when she got home. The call came in from Gonzalez’s phone, butit wasWatson confessing he had killed her, Wiggins said.

Wiggins said she and her family are not mourning the death of their father, but rather they’re sending their prayers and condolences to the loved ones Gonzalez left behind.

“We apologize for the fact that our father did not have enough respect for himself or for mankind to feel he did not have to do this. She didn’t have to die,” she said.

Gonzalez’s family and friends remember her as a beautiful person and say she’s going to be missed dearly.

“Her life was taken in such an ugly manner. She didn’t deserve to go the way she did,” said Martha Ruby, a friend of Gonzalez’s.

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

KESQ News Team

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content