Delacruz Pleads Not Guilty to Capital Murder as Jury is Seated

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Attorneys for Isidro Delacruz and the State of Texas selected a jury of nine women and five men Monday morning to hear evidence in the capital murder trial in the Tom Green County Courthouse.

District Judge Ben Woodward brought in 53 potential jurors who were chosen from an initial pool of 328 who met in the McNease Convention Center on January 11.  Judge Woodward had the jury pool and everyone in the courtroom join him in the Pledge of Allegiance before the proceedings began.

Over 100 of those were chosen for individual interviews and that was narrowed the 53 who reported this morning.  District Attorney Allison Palmer struck 12 potential jurors and defense attorney Robert Cowie struck 15.

Once the attorneys agreed on the 14 individuals, District Clerk Sheri Woodfin called out their names and they were seated in the jury box in courtroom A on the second floor of the courthouse.  By the end of the jury selection process Monday, 39 potential jurors were dismissed. Then Judge Woodward swore in the 12 jurors and two alternates.

The judge then read the preliminary instructions to the jurors instructing them not to read or discuss anything about the trial or testimony.  

District Attorney Allison Palmer then read the indictment from the July 2014 session of the 51st District Grand Jury.  The indictment alleges that Isidro Delacruz cut the throat of 5-year-old Naiya Villegas causing her death. He faces the death penalty if found guilty.  

Delacruz pleaded not guilty after the indictment was read.  Opening statements will begin Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Tom Green County Courthouse.