A Goshen man has pleaded guilty to killing his partner, avoiding a trial.

Hector Duran Gomez, 45, admitted to the October 13, 2024, murder of Alma Bermeo, also 45. He was originally set to appear in court Friday for a hearing over access to Bermeo’s medical records. His defense had planned to argue she may have died by suicide, but instead, Duran Gomez entered a plea deal on Thursday.

According to police, Duran Gomez used a zip tie to strangle Bermeo at their home on South Indiana Avenue. Despite a no-contact order due to a prior domestic battery case, he had been with her the night before.

Concerned after not hearing from her, a friend called for a welfare check. Police and Bermeo’s father found her body in a locked garage on the property. Surveillance cameras had been tampered with.

The Goshen News says Duran Gomez was arrested later that day. An autopsy confirmed Bermeo died from asphyxiation.

A judge accepted the guilty plea Friday. Sentencing is set for June 26.