BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A man convicted of stabbing his aunt to death after a family argument in 2024 was sentenced on Wednesday to 25 years to life, plus one year.
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Christopher Kaulaity was found guilty last month of first-degree murder in the killing of his aunt, Maria Carmen Torrez, 45. He was also found guilty of personally using a deadly weapon during the crime.
Christopher Kaulaity. Photo: Kern County District Attorney’s Office.
The killing happened on Dec. 7, 2024, after tensions escalated inside a home in the 1800 block of Haley Street, where Kaulaity and Torrez lived with seven other adult family members.
According to prosecutors, the conflict began the day before, Dec. 6, 2024, when the home’s single toilet was clogged, and an argument broke out between Kaulaity and Torrez over the issue. Over the next 24 hours, tension built in the house, and several family members warned Kaulaity that if problems continued, he and his adult sister would need to move out.
The following morning, Torrez was walking to the bathroom and, while passing Kaulaity in the hallway, insulted him. Prosecutors said that after Torrez went into the bathroom, Kaulaity retrieved pepper spray and a knife from his bedroom, kicked open the bathroom door, pepper-sprayed Torrez to “blind her,” and stabbed her repeatedly in the back and neck. Torrez was stabbed seven times.
After the stabbing, Kaulaity called 9-1-1 and said he had just stabbed his aunt to death. Deputies responded and arrested him. Attempts were made to save Torrez’s life, but she died from her injuries at home. The Kern County coroner said Torrez was found dead by deputies at 8:21 a.m.
In an interview with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Kaulaity explained in detail why he murdered Torrez.
At trial, the defense argued that Kaulaity’s mental health disorders caused him to hallucinate and left him unaware of his actions. The jury rejected that claim, citing Kaulaity’s behavior and statements on the day of the murder, along with testimony from a second psychologist who said Kaulaity was aware of his actions and knew they were wrong.
“Kaulaity’s murder of his aunt was a tragic act against a woman who should have been safe inside her home. The District Attorney’s Office and its prosecutors are committed to seeking justice, against individuals like Kaulaity, who commit violent crimes and attempt to excuse their behavior through unwarranted claims of insanity,” Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said at the time of Kaulaity’s conviction.