GUILTY!

SAN ANGELO, TX -- At approximately 3:20 p.m. today the jury returned the verdict of guilty. Monday, the judge ordered, the jury will begin deliberations on Isidro Delacruz's punishment. He will either be sentenced to death or life in prison.

The original story filed as the jurors went into deliberations earlier Thursday:

The jury in Isidro Delacruz’s capital murder trial are deliberating his guilt or innocence today.  District Judge Ben Woodward read the charge to the jury Thursday morning which included only one charge; capital murder.  

If they find Delacruz not guilty, he walks out the front door of the Tom Green County Courthouse a free man.  If they find him guilty, he could be sentenced to death.

Defense attorneys argued Thursday morning to include lesser charges to the jury’s instructions including injury to a child including death.  Judge Woodward denied their motions so the only charge the jury can consider is the capital murder charge and the only penalty is the death penalty.  

In closing arguments, District Attorney Allison Palmer told the jury that Isidro Delacruz broke into the house through the bathroom window and was hunting Tanya Bermea.  Bermea fled the house out the front door and ran down Houston St. which is documented in the surveillance video from SNG Satellite. Then Delacruz could be seen on video running down the street.  Palmer said he was hunting her.

Palmer then told jurors that Bermea’s mother picked her up and drove her back to the house and they arrived shortly after Delacruz could be seen in the video running back into the house.  Palmer said Tanya Bermea never got back into the house. Instead she was beaten up by Delacruz who attacked her and her mother. She told jurors that Delaruz went back into the house and cut Naiya’s throat but she fought back.  That’s why she had bruising on her face. Palmer told jurors as they were weeping that Naiya fought back and her DNA was all over Delacruz’s shirt and pants and shoes. Palmer said that was Naiya telling us who killed her.

Defense attorneys told a different story.  Rob Cowie told jurors Tanya Bermea and Isidro Delacruz were both drunk in a dark room with a knife and Delacruz got a cut on his arm and Naiya ended up dead.  

At 12:15 p.m. Thursday, the jury asked for six pieces of evidence after deliberating for two hours.  They asked for the SNG Satellite surveillance video, the video of Delacruz in the back of the patrol car at the crime scene, the video interview of Delacruz at the police station, Tanya Bermea’s phone records, all phone and facebook records and the DNA chart of the house.  

The jury continues deliberations Thursday afternoon.  We’ll bring you the verdict as soon as possible.