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Courtney Weatherburne reporting
A New Year's visit turned deadly when Anita Pineda was ambushed on this verandah. She was stabbed to death.

Yesterday evening around 6:00, Pineda was at her Shawville home in San Ignacio when her friend who rents this house, called her to come over.

Luis Flores, Brother
"As I went home, I looked through the window I saw she was on the phone."

Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"Did she say what the person told her over the call?"

Luis Flores, Brother
"No but I have the phone there that shows the call from this person here, she is the last one from 6 to 6:15 she is received the call."

"And minutes after that she told my old lady to bring her up here."

Pineda's mom brought her to the house on her motorcycle. They didn't even make it inside when Pineda's ex common law husband, Ruben Cassasola pounced on her. Pineda's mom watched in terror as Cassasola attacked her.

Luis Flores, Brother
"When she is walking in, see the blood there, it is inside she is going in when this man came from the back and approached her."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So no words were said or anything, he just came from the back and just stabbed her."

Luis Flores, Brother
"He grabbed her and didn't let her go and just stab up, stab up her."

Cassasola then ran off. The neighbor was having a party and heard the commotion. According to the neighbor, the party goers including a nurse ran over to try to assist Pineda but she didn't make it. It is another case of domestic abuse. Pineda and Cassasola had been in a toxic relationship for many years. They share three children together but they separated about 5 months ago. Pineda even took out a restraining order two months ago but that didn't keep Cassasola away.

Luis Flores, Brother
"Every time when he gets drunk, it's a problem he makes and from then she took out a retraining order against him. From then he hasn't been to the back there."

Reporter
"How long have they been together?"

Luis Flores
"A couple years. For them to have those three kids, from nine, seven and five. That's a lot of years."

Reporter
"And throughout that relationship, he abused her, you'd say?"

Luis Flores
"From then. From then I knew him to have problems with her. He always made issues."

Reporter
"So he didn't respect the restraining order, he violated that?"

Luis Flores
"Nothing; he is abusing things."

Reporter
"So she has gone to the police and complained several times and nothing much is done about it?"

Luis Flores
"She complained a lot of times. Police would just go to the back there and ask, "Where is Ruben? Where where is Ruben?" And that is how it has stayed up to today."

Reporter
"What caused him to go to this extreme to stab her like that? What was going through his head? What happened?"

Luis Flores
"Jealousy. He must have felt that she was living with someone else, or something. That must have been what tripped his mind his mind."

The family believes that Pineda's murder was a set-up and Pineda's friend, who is also Cassasola's sister-in-law was either in on the plan or was forced to call Pineda over to the house.

It is a grisly end for a mother of three and today, Flores gently caressed his sister's bloodstains, looking on in disbelief and reliving his sister's final moments.

Luis Flores, Brother
"Well the moment I reached here, the first thing I heard was her talking to my old lady. She was asking her to please take care of her three kids and don't give them to anybody. Let her just take care of it."

Reporter
"It was her final wish?"

Luis Flores
"Final and then I saw here close her eyes. She just collapsed in my old lady's hands."

Cassasola is in police custody and investigators expect to charge him before midday tomorrow. They have recovered the murder weapon and the blood stained scooter Cassasola used to escape. They found the scooter near the Belize Guatemala border.