Remains of missing California mother Heather Gumina found, husband arrested
44-year-old Anthony Gumina charged with first degree murder; Anita Vogel reports from Los Angeles.
A search for a missing California mother of three came to a grisly end on Friday after her remains were discovered and her husband was arrested, according to officials.
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said Saturday on Facebook that Anthony Gumina, 44, was initially arrested on an outstanding no-bail warrant for domestic violence.
Detectives then simultaneously conducted a search warrant Friday in the Pleasant Valley area of El Dorado County, where they discovered what is believed to be the remains of 33-year-old Heather Gumina, his wife.
Anthony Gumina, left, was arrested for homicide after the remains of his wife, Heather Waters, were discovered Friday, officials said. (El Dorado County Sheriff's Office)
"Following the discovery, EDSO detectives arrested Anthony Gumina for homicide," the sheriff's office said.
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Gumina – also known as Heather Waters – was a 33-year-old mother of three from the Pleasant Valley area, located about 50 miles east of Sacramento.
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33-year-old Heather Waters was last seen on July 16 and had been recovering from a broken collarbone; Christina Coleman reports from Los Angeles.
She had not been seen since July 15, when she was released from the hospital after being treated for a broken collarbone. She spoke to her mother after spending the night at the hospital and complained she was released too soon.
Her mother, Joanna Russel, told Fox 40 on Saturday that family members always feared this would have been the end result, and were heartbroken on Saturday.
“We’re super sad about what happened and I don’t know if we’re ever going to be OK,” Russel told Fox 40. "I miss my daughter."
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Russel, who described her daughter as one of the "most giving, loyal people," said the grim discovery months later was devastating.
Heather Gumina, also known as Heather Waters, was reported missing in Northern California in July. (El Dorado County Sheriff's Office)
"I’m going to grieve for a very long time," she told Fox 40. "It’s like the world’s worst nightmare.”
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The sheriff's office released a photo of Anthony Gumina under arrest, sitting down on what appeared to be a curb. Officials said in order to protect the integrity of their homicide investigation, not further information is being released at this time.
But while officials claim to have evidence linking Gumina to his wife's death, a family member told Fox 40 he believed the 44-year-old was innocent.
"I’m 100 percent positive that he didn’t do it," Robert Shawaluk, a cousin of Gumina, said Saturday. "He did nothing wrong. He loved her. He loved his wife. And for them to arrest him when he cooperated the whole time. He did nothing but cooperate with the cops.”
Fox News' Christina Coleman contributed to this report.
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