Trial scheduled for Riverbank man accused of killing his wife

A judge on Wednesday scheduled a trial to begin Aug. 22 for a Riverbank man accused of killing his wife with a shovel.

Roque Palomino, 55, is charged with murder and trying to take a gun away from a Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputy responding to a report of a fight. Authorities found the defendant and his wife’s body more than a year ago in a rural area between Escalon and Oakdale.

Doug Maner, Palomino’s attorney, told the judge that his client wants his trial to begin as soon as possible. Palomino remains in custody at the county jail. His bail is set at $5 million.

Cynthia Palomino, 49, was found in an orchard not far from where investigators discovered a truck submerged in a canal. Investigators believe the defendant drove the truck into the canal, but it’s unclear why.

The first deputy who arrived found Palomino with injuries on his face. When the deputy asked Palomino how he had been hurt, the defendant tried to take the deputy’s handgun from his holster, according to sheriff’s officials.

Prosecutors have added enhancements to his charges, alleging the defendant committed the crime with a shovel and acted with premeditation.

Superior Court Judge Marie Silveira said Palomino’s trial is estimated to last about three to four weeks. She scheduled to the defendant to return to court July 14 for a pretrial hearing.

Public records show that the couple at the time owned Palomino Family Farms in Riverbank and sold products at the El Cerrito farmers market in Contra Costa County.

Deputies were called to the 9500 block of Victory Avenue, less than a mile north of the Stanislaus River, about 8:35 p.m. July 27, 2015. The deputy, who said Palomino tried to take his gun, used his Taser to subdue Palomino and take him into custody. Palomino later was taken to a hospital.

Investigators said Cynthia Palomino had been seen with her husband earlier in the evening. The sheriff’s dive team and helicopter helped look for her before deputies found her body in the nearby orchard.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Trial scheduled for Riverbank man accused of killing his wife."