..."This situation has become so unbearable and out of control that I do not know what to do," Otilia Burton wrote in court records filed as part of divorce proceedings, which she began in September... Burton returned to the couple's Cartilla Court home in February, despite his wife's objections. Her lawyer, said they went to court to try to kick him out, but the motion was denied by a judge... Otilia Burton once came in with a black eye, and Burton told one of Hartog's assistants that if the divorce proceedings were completed, he would kill Otilia, the lawyer said...
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Colleagues of Michael Burton say the Pasadena firefighter was an outstanding individual, both personally and professionally. (they always say that after the fact)
Neighbors recall a family man who loved his children and would shuttle them to and from school.
But a more frightening picture is emerging after police stormed his home Sunday and found his wife, Otilia, dead with stab wounds and arrested Michael Burton, 45, on suspicion of murder.
"This situation has become so unbearable and out of control that I do not know what to do," Otilia Burton wrote in court records filed as part of divorce proceedings, which she began in September. The couple separated two months earlier and he moved out when she filed for divorce. The 35-year-old woman's full name was Jesus Otilia Burton, but neighbors say everyone called her by her middle name.
The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office is set to conduct an autopsy on her body. Burton was still in a hospital Monday night with self-inflicted stab wounds.
Otilia Burton had said her husband was controlling, manipulative and emotionally and verbally abusive to her and their children, records state.
But Burton denied the accusations and he and his sister, Pamela, portrayed a different woman in court documents.
They said that Otilia Burton was neglecting her three children - a daughter, 18, and two sons, one 12 and the other 9 - and left them alone frequently.
The two also accused Otilia Burton of allowing the children to find out about a relationship she was having with another man.
Otilia Burton admitted to the relationship but denied leaving her children alone, saying she had to work part time at Coco's Restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga while she completed nursing training. It was a career opportunity she said her husband at first encouraged, records state. She added that he was the one who told the children about the relationship.
Burton returned to the couple's Cartilla Court home in February, despite his wife's objections. Her lawyer, Diane Hartog, said they went to court to try to kick him out, but the motion was denied by a judge.
Otilia Burton once came in with a black eye, and Burton told one of Hartog's assistants that if the divorce proceedings were completed, he would kill Otilia, the lawyer said.
"We were all really worried about her," Hartog said. "I was afraid she was going to become a statistic."
While court records state that a sword and gun were taken from Burton in previous visits by police, Otilia Burton noted one chilling threat.
"He has threatened me and told me he has a samurai sword and that he was going to use the sword to chop up my boyfriend," she declared in the court records.
Neighbors knew about the couple's pending divorce, but no one knew how troubled the relationship was.
Carlos Llanos, who lives two houses away, said his son was good friends with the Burton's 9-year-old boy.
"I was pretty devastated about what was going on in his marriage," Llanos said. "He lost a lot of weight and was depressed" when divorce proceedings began.
If you need assistance or you know someone involved in domestic violence, help is available. It's confidential & the call is toll free. The 24-hour number 1-800-799-SAFE. Please before you decided to end a violent relationship consider your options when prepraing to leave.
