Luis Toledo trial: 'She died looking at me,' Toledo tells investigators

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The trial of a 35-year-old Deltona man who is accused of killing his wife and his two stepchildren continued Thursday.

Investigators said Luis Toledo killed Yessenia Suarez, 28, and her children, Thalia Otto, 9, and Michael Otto, 8, who disappeared from their Deltona home in October 2013 and were never found.

Deputies said Toledo confessed to killing Suarez, but he denied killing her children. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the deaths of the children.

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Prosecutors said Toledo killed his wife and his stepchildren after learning that Suarez was having an affair and sought a divorce.

A recording of detectives interviewing Toledo about his wife's disappearance was played for jurors Thursday.

The interview was done on Oct. 23, 2013, the day Suarez's mother requested deputies to conduct a well-being check on her.

In the recording, Toledo opened up about how his marriage was deteriorating. He explained to investigators how he installed a tracking app on Suarez's cellphone so he could read her text messages.

Toledo said that he showed up to his wife's workplace Oct. 22 and confronted her and the coworker with whom she was having an affair. He said he was upset when they denied the affair.

Toledo told investigators during the interview that he left home after he and Suarez got into an argument the evening before her disappearance.

"You and Kevin can have each other," Toledo said in the recording. "I left. I drove to the cemetery for awhile."

Toledo said that he would often visit the cemetery where his parents are buried to reflect. He said he returned home and slept in his car.

Toledo said his wife and his stepchildren were gone when he went into the home. He told investigators that he was upset that she didn't awake him before leaving.

At first he denied knowing what happened to the family, according to investigators. Toledo then broke down crying and confessed to killing his wife after she came after him and grabbed his back, investigators said. Toledo said he karate-chopped her in the throat.

"She fell down on the floor, looking at me. She couldn't breathe. She's not breathing. She's not breathing. She died looking at me," Toledo said.

Toledo told investigators his neighbor, Tyshawn Jackson, killed his stepchildren with an ax and buried them.

"He had the kids in his hands. There was blood everywhere," Toledo said in the recording to investigators.

Jackson has denied killing the children. He testified Monday that he helped Toledo move Suarez's car to a parking lot in Seminole County.

Prosecutors on Wednesday played a portion of the recording, but defense attorneys objected six minutes into it. The judge sent jurors home early so defense attorneys could read a transcript of the interview.

Cox Media Group