No parole for man convicted of King City murder

A Monterey man who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend in 1996 has been denied parole and will spend at least seven more years in prison.

Juan Armas Espinosa, 51, was sentenced in August of 1996 to a term of 25 years to life for the first degree murder of Belisa Gamboa in King City.

According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s office, Espinosa stabbed Gamboa in front of the couple’s oldest daughter after arguing over whether their home’s door should remain open or shut. Espinosa fatally stabbed Gamboa in the neck with a kitchen knife and cut the daughter’s hand when she attempted to intervene.

The D.A. opposed Espinosa’s parole at a hearing held in Chowchilla. Espinosa’s daughters also testified against his release.

Espinosa will not be eligible for parole until 2023.