Man gets 40 years for 2011 shooting of ex-wife

EL CAJON (CNS) – A man who shot his ex-wife to death in his Alpine home
two days before Christmas 2011 was sentenced in El Cajon Thursday to 40 years to
life in state prison.

Justin Meltzer, 44, pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder.

According to court testimony, a friend said 40-year-old Deborah Meltzer
had taken her two young sons to see their father on Dec. 23, 2011. The children
were at a neighbor's house when the gunfire erupted.

At Meltzer's arraignment, prosecutor Carlos Campbell told a judge that a
man running down the street about 5:45 p.m. saw the defendant with the victim
outside the defendant's home on Larkspur Drive.

The witness said the victim was handcuffed, with a dog leash attached to
the cuffs, and was yelling, “Help me. He's got a gun, He's going to kill
me,” according to the prosecutor.

One of Justin Meltzer's neighbors, Kenneth Mohler, testified at a
preliminary hearing that he was watching television about 6:30 p.m. when his
wife told him that “something was wrong at Justin's home.”

A fire alarm was going off and Mohler said he went up to the front door,
and Deborah Meltzer pushed open a security door and took his hand.

Mohler said Justin Meltzer, who was holding his ex-wife by the leash,
was disoriented and mumbling during the four to five minutes Mohler talked to
him.

As Mohler talked to the Meltzers, a shot rang out, sending shrapnel into
Mohler's face.

The defendant yanked the victim back into the home and several more
shots rang out, Mohler said.

Sheriff's Deputy Cliff Laplant, the first officer to arrive at the
scene, said he shot at the defendant with his rifle when Meltzer yelled that he
had made up his mind what he was going to do.

Deputies who went inside found a 9mm weapon emptied out next to the
defendant, who was lying next to his dead ex-wife with a gunshot wound to the
leg. The victim was shot seven times in the chest.

At the sentencing, Deborah Meltzer's stepfather, William Hutchins,
addressed Justin Meltzer, telling him he took her sons' mother away from them.

“They hate you for what you did to their mother,” Hutchins said of the
boys, now 14 and 10 years old.