SAN ANGELO, TX -- Isidro Delacruz is accused of cutting the throat of a 5-year-old girl and is facing the death penalty in his capital murder trial.
San Angelo LIVE Coverage of the crime and the trial seems to be a factor in jury selection.
According to court documents, “The local media outlets, including sanangelolive.com, continue to publish detailed adverse accounts of the proceedings in this case.”
San Angelo LIVE Reporters were present at the crime scene and attend court proceedings open to the public and report only what is made available to the public.
Defense attorneys requested the court ask each potential juror if they have formed an opinion in the case based on media coverage. “During the judge's voir dire, the Court asked for persons who had heard something about the case and only a few had not heard”
“The Court did not ask if any had formed a conclusion that would be a challenge for cause. Mr. Cowie requested that the Court complete that inquiry of individuals at individual voir dire before proceeding with other questions. The Court granted that request.”
As we reported earlier, according to a complaint filed by investigator Carlton T. Kolbe, the suspect, 23-year-old Isidro Miguel Delacruz, entered the residence of his ex-girlfriend, Tanya Bermea, through a back window shortly before committing the murder and refused to leave.
At the time of the break-in, only Bermea and her daughter, Naiya Villegas, were in the house. However shortly thereafter, Bermea exited to call her mother, Jesusita Bermea and the two returned, but Delacruz refused to let them back inside.
Bermea then drove to Delacruz’s mother’s house, located in the 3100 block of Lindell St., to seek assistance in removing Delacruz from the residence, and when she returned her daughter’s throat had been slit and Delacruz was covering the wound with paper towels, the complaint states.
“Tanya Bermea said that when she walked into the residence the defendant got up and punched her several times, then pushed her outside onto the sidewalk and started choking her,” Detective Kolbe wrote.
Responding officer Marcus Rodriguez reported that he had been dispatched to the scene for a civil disturbance, and upon arrival found Bermea in the front yard and observed Delacruz walking into the residence.
Once inside, Rodriguez observed Villegas lying on the living room floor and Delacruz holding paper towels to the victim’s throat.
Kolbe’s walk-through of the residence turned up a horrific scene, with blood on the walls, blinds, floor and Villegas’ bedroom, as well as in the kitchen mixed with water. Crime scene photos of Delacruz revealed a laceration on the back of his left upper arm.
The suspected murder weapon was found underneath a vehicle parked at the end of a walkway, where blood visibly marked the area.
Following their arrival on scene, police immediately took Delacruz into custody and transported him to the county jail, where he was booked for murder.
Jury selection continues in the capital murder trial.
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Comments
Every time I read about this case I always have more questions. How did the knife get outside under a car? Why would the defendant have a cut on his arm, particularly in the location he had , it sounds like a defensive wound. Also why did he not flee the scene. I don't know any of these people, just reading the articles and statements, leaves a lot of questions in my mind. It is sad and horrific how this little girl died and I hope that the prosecutors can prove with out a doubt that whom ever committed the crime is punished.
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PermalinkDid I miss something? The article doesn't say anything about a cut he had on his arm. It also doesn't say anything about his fleeing the scene, it says Delacruz was holding paper towels to the child's throat. As far as the knife goes, the article only says that it was found under a car. Is there an original article about this?
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PermalinkThe 4th paragraph from the bottom says he had a laceration to the back of hi left arm. The fleeing the scene is just an observation because he did not flee but stayed and was trying to stop the bleeding. Why would he not flee if he had just murdered someone? Most murders flee not stay and try to stop the bleeding. Everything sounds circumstantial. I would like to hear his side of the story. As a friend of mine points out there are 3 sides to a story, the view from the 2 parties involved and the truth.
There are many articles regarding this case, but this one sums most of them up. I have not scene a story where Delacruz is interviewed.
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