A 44-year-old man in South Dakota may spend the rest of his life in prison for allegedly killing a 40-year-old woman last year by bludgeoning her to death with a can of beans after she ripped the football jersey he was wearing.
Pedro Simental is currently charged with one count of first-degree manslaughter using a dangerous weapon in the death of Edleigha Little, according to records examined by Law&Crime.
Under state law, first-degree manslaughter carries a potential penalty of life in a state jail facility and a fine of up to $50,000.
According to ABC affiliate KOTA in Rapid City, South Dakota, officers from the Rapid City Police Department responded to Monument Hospital’s emergency room in the 300 block of Fairmont Boulevard around 3 a.m. on Nov. 9, 2023, after hospital personnel called to report that an adult female had been admitted with suspicious injuries.
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Emergency care workers had recently picked up the woman, later identified as Little, from the Stardust Motel in Rapid City’s 500 block of East North Street late on the night of Nov. 8, after an unknown guy called 911 to request medical aid. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered that Little was alive but unconscious, with many injuries on her head, neck, and face. Little died a few hours after suffering injuries.
A further autopsy performed by the medical examiner on November 13 indicated that Little’s death was a homicide caused by “significant blunt force trauma” to the left side of her head, according to the Rapid City Journal.
Police say Simental was at the motel when first responders arrived. According to the Journal, during his initial interview with police, Simental “did not implicate himself in any way.”
However, during a follow-up interview on Nov. 13, Simental reportedly revealed that on the night of Nov. 8, he and Little had an argument that evolved into a physical fight. During the questioning, Simental allegedly admitted to investigators that he “may have struck the victim in the left side of her head with a can.” He told police that he attacked Little because she grabbed his Denver Broncos jersey and he heard it shred, according to the Journal.
According to KOTA, Little was allegedly bludgeoned with a can of beans. Simental appeared in court on Monday, and his counsel suggested that Little’s hematoma could have been spontaneous due to her supposed “severe alcoholic” status for several years.
He is set to appear in court again on August 26.