Bertha Boronda was an American woman who sliced off her husband's penis in 1907. She was convicted of the crime of mayhem of using a straight razor to slice off her husband's penis. She fled the scene of the crime, but was captured the next day. Boronda was tried, convicted and imprisoned at San Quentin Penitentiary.
Crime
On Friday, May 30, 1907, Bertha insisted that her husband Frank, a firefighter, had visited a place of prostitution. Shortly after midnight, she cut her husband's penis off with a razor while in bed. He was able to go to the firehouse, which was adjacent to his home, and received treatment in a hospital. Mr. Boronda testified at the trial that he and his wife had visited the San Jose theater, and that the attack was unprovoked. He claimed that she was amorous and had invited him to her bed before the attack. The prosecution's theory was that this was a deliberate planned attack in furtherance of a jealous rage. Mrs. Boronda had several defenses, chief among them being her complete lack of any recollection of the night in question. She claimed she became enraged at her husband, and the two had an argument because she thought he was going to leave her. She admitted that she maimed him, but expressed no regret. As reported in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, "Her only excuse is that she wanted to be revenged on Boronda, whom she believed intended deserting her and leaving for Mexico." Another defense was that Mr. Boronda had made "a vile request." The newspaper reports were tactfully non-specific. "'She drew a razor and cut her husband.' Then she walked to her nephew’s room and simply stated, 'Frank cut himself.'"
Capture
She was apprehended while disguised, wearing a man's clothing and mounting a bicycle to make her escape. She was not found by police until more than 24 hours had passed. After her capture, Bertha Boronda admitted her crime and expressed no regret. On June 1, Frank Boronda made a complaint to Justice Brown from his hospital bed at the Red Cross Hospital. Boronda was accused of mayhem. The felony of mayhem, punishable by up to fourteen years in prison, was defined by Section 204 of the criminal code: "Every person who unlawfully and maliciously deprives a human being of a member of his body or renders it useless, or cuts or disables the tongue, nose, ear or lip, is guilty of mayhem."
Sentence
The jury deliberated two hours before convicting her. Bertha Boronda was sentenced to five years in prison, but served only two and was released from prison on December 20, 1909.
Personal
Bertha Zettle was born in 1877. Her parents were German immigrants to Minnesota. Frank was born Mario Narcisso Boronda in 1863, he was Mexican and lived in California. Bertha married Frank Boronda, who was a captain with the San Jose Fire Department, in 1901. After the incident Bertha and Frank Boronda broke off their marriage. Frank and Bertha each later married other spouses. Bertha married Alexander Patterson in 1921. Bertha and Alexander eventually divorced. Her remains are interred at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in San Jose, California.
