Sacramento man found guilty in 2016 murder of girlfriend at Best Western motel
A Sacramento man was found guilty by jury Wednesday of murdering his girlfriend in a motel room the day after Thanksgiving two years ago.
Mario Michael Mayorga, 35 at the time of the incident, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Tina Louisa Morales, then 48.
Morales’ body, with stab wounds and head trauma, was found by staff at the Best Western John Jay Inn on Massie Court off of Stockton Boulevard on Nov. 25, 2016, as The Bee reported following the Mayorga’s arrest.
Mayorga and Morales, reportedly in a “dating relationship,” had Thanksgiving dinner together and then went to a friend’s house, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. A different friend drove them back to their motel room at 1:30 a.m. the next day, and Morales’ body was discovered about 11:30 a.m.
Mayorga, who has two strike convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and with a firearm, faces a max sentence of 75 years to life in prison. He is set to be sentenced March 15.
This story was originally published February 14, 2019 at 9:13 AM.
