A Michigan man who electrocuted his ex-wife for hours because he believed she was cheating on him was sentenced in court Monday.
Saúl Lucio-Ipina pleaded no contest to charges of torture and witness tampering in early October and will spend between 14 and 30 years in prison. mlive reported.
The victim, who remains unidentified, detailed on the stand the horrific abuse her ex-husband subjected her to.
The torture administered by Lucio-Ipina involved hanging her from a noose around her neck and electrocuting her with jumper cables when she was unwilling or unable to answer his questions about her alleged infidelity.
Kent County Circuit Judge George Quist said what Lucio-Ipina did was “some of the most egregious conduct I have ever seen in this court,” NBC affiliate. WOOD reported.
Saúl Lucio-Ipina, right, and his defense attorney listen as he faces sentencing for electrocuting and torturing his ex-wife on two occasions. He believed she was cheating on him.
Pictured: A makeshift torture device that Lucio-Ipina tied his ex-wife to while electrocuting her.
The swing he tied her to was located in the basement of the house, pictured.
“Anyone who does this kind of thing, I think it’s a danger in general,” Quist added.
Amid hours of testimony during a single day of the trial, the victim said Lucio-Ipina once ordered entry into the basement of her home before forcing her to stand on a bucket with a rope around her neck.
“He was hitting her while she was in the bucket,” Quist said at the sentencing hearing. “She finally fell and was hanging there for a short period of time. Mr. Lucio killed her.
This incident was not initially reported to police.
Police said the second case of torture he was charged with involved tying his ex-wife to a children’s swing in his basement with rope. He then wrapped a metal wire around her arms and back.
He attached jumper cables to the cable and electrocuted her for approximately five hours, while repeatedly questioning her about the traps.
“Every time I answered a question or didn’t answer a question, he hit me,” the woman testified.
Kent County Circuit Judge George Quist recounted the gruesome details of Lucio-Ipina’s crimes before handing down the sentence.
Lucio-Ipina, pictured in his mugshot, repeatedly apologized to his ex-wife and showed remorse, according to reporters in the courtroom.
He also said that after this, he went to the police and filed a complaint.
The woman did not make any victim impact statements during the sentencing hearing.
Lucio-Ipina repeatedly apologized to his ex-wife, but never mentioned her name, MLive reported.
‘I just want to apologize to my victim, first of all, and to everyone I hurt in this process, which is my entire family and community,’ Lucio said.
Lucio-Ipina was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years for both counts of torture, with the prison sentences to be served concurrently.
For the charge of witness intimidation, he was sentenced to 544 days served.
