Houston man sentenced to 45 years for killing woman he stalked and tracked at work: Records
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 53-year-old Houston man was sentenced to 45 years in prison for stabbing his girlfriend after believing she was cheating on him, according to records.
The video above is from a previous report.
Court records showed that Santos Hernandez Cornejo was charged with Argelia Diaz Maya's murder in 2025.
The stabbing happened at the Burnin' Shell restaurant on Wilcrest Drive on June 14. Court records say that Cornejo confronted Maya behind the building, where she worked as a dishwasher.
Maya ran from the suspect, who was armed with a knife behind his back, and ran back inside, where he stabbed her, officials said. Officials said the suspect then called police and turned himself in. He was arrested without incident, and the weapon used in the stabbing was recovered from a nearby field.
Cornejo admitted that he had placed a tracking device in her car and a listening device in her room, court documents said. He also admitted he was convinced she was having an affair.
Authorities initally described the murder as "very aggressive" and "calculated."
During his hearing, Cornejo's attorney brought up his voluntary surrender, higlighting his cooperation. His bail was set at $350,000.
At the time, Cornejo had been in Houston for nearly 17 years and was from El Savador.
