Trial begins for Fresno man accused of beating girlfriend to death

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Prosecutors have begun lying out their case against a Fresno man accused of beating his girlfriend to death. Opening arguments began Thursday in that trial.

Prosecutors say Gabriel Rosiles, 25, beat his longtime girlfriend so severely it killed her.

"She didn't have five injuries, she didn't have 10 injures, but her body sustained 61 injuries to her head, and torso and legs," said prosecutor William Terrence.

Michelle Jimenez was lying naked on the floor of her bathroom back in September 2012. Rosiles claims he found her dead then called his mom, who brought her two other sons to help her. Rosiles took off while his brothers called 911. When deputies arrived, one of the brothers was giving her CPR.

"She did not have a pulse, and she was cold to the touch," said Sgt. Richard Wilhoite with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

Prosecutors say Rosiles physically and verbally abused Jimenez and other women he was romantically involved in.

"The people's evidence is going to establish a pattern that this defendant repeatedly beat the women that were in his life," said Terrence.

Rosiles' attorney, though, claims his client is innocent and that he has repeatedly denied killing her.

"Shower is still running, in fact the shower ran until the police arrived an hour later. The presumption that Gabriel made at that point was that she'd fallen off the shower," said defense attorney H. Ty Kharazi.

Gabriel Rosiles has two prior felonies on his record. If he's convicted of the crimes, he faces at least 45 years in prison.