The man arrested after remains were found in the backyards of his two homes, was in the middle of a bitter divorce.
17 News has learned Frank Valles' wife of nine years was in court just 17 days ago, asking for protection and telling a judge Valles was threatening to kill her.
Now, there is at least one body in Valles' backyard. But, it isn't his wife Consuelo's. She is alive and spoke briefly with 17 News on Thursday by phone.
Consuelo Valles lives in a house in the 4200 block of Crescent Rock Lane in southwest Bakersfield.
Detectives said they got a tip from someone there saying there were body parts buried in the backyard of one of her husband's two homes.
Consuelo confirmed Thursday, she had talked to police investigators, but didn't want to tell us more.
The Valles' bitter divorce battle is laid out in several documents. The couple married in 2003 and separated four years later as Consuelo learned her husband had an ongoing relationship with another woman and purchased another home to live with her.
The documents say Frank Valles owns both homes where human remains were found over the last two days. The documents also indicate Frank Valles was self-employed at an Indian reservation, earning about $20,000 per month.
In early July, Consuelo Valles filed for a restraining order against her husband, saying she was frightened and that she heard her husband wanted to kill her.
30 days later, Frank Valles filed a 13-page rambling response with the court, admitting he had affairs and cheated on his wife with escorts. Frank Valles said he tried counseling to save his marriage, but would file divorce papers of his own.
Records show he has a criminal record dating back to 1989, when he was 22 years old. He's been to prison four times and county jail several other times. And, he's been convicted of drug and theft charges and of escaping from jail.
Now, he sits in the Downtown Jail, held without bail on charges of first degree murder, following a tip that came from the household of his estranged wife.
