Domingo “Tito” Gomez, 51, was arrested Wednesday around 6 p.m. while he was leaving the Families and Youth Building on Solano Drive., said spokesman Bo Nevarez for the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Department. Investigators said Gomez tried to poison his then-estranged wife and his mother-in-law by injecting carbofuran, a banned pesticide, into their wine five times between January 2008 and March of 2008.

According to Nevarez, carbofuran is highly toxic if swallowed, which will elicit symptoms in humans such as headaches, light-headedness, weakness, abdominal cramps, nausea, excessive salivation, perspiration and blurred vision.

More severe signs can include tearing, pin-point pupils, excessive respiratory secretions (like pneumonia-fluid buildup in lungs), cyanosis, convulsions, generalized tremors and coma.

Both victims described the same symptoms, according to the court documents filed. The records also stated that their son also admitted hearing Gomez over the phone say, “she knows I’m trying to poison her.” The court records state that Gomez had access to the pesticide where he worked as a farmer.

Regardless of the allegations friends and neighbors were shocked to hear the news.

“I don't believe it, I really don't believe Tito (Domingo Gomez) would do that, you would have to really believe Tito what kind of a person he is, he's really nice, nice guy,” said Olga Legarreta who lives next door.

Gomez was charged with five counts of attempt to commit a felony (first-degree murder).

A judge set bond a cash bond at $45,000.

Gomez is being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center.

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