Park 2400 Murder Victim and Attacker Celebrated With Round of Shots

SAN ANGELO, TX – Wednesday morning the Park 2400 murder trial continued with testimonies from the ER doctor, the Shannon Security Supervisor, and the waitress who served the group alcohol that fatal night.

The most interesting of the three was the testimony from the waitress, Desiree Johnson. She is no longer a bartender at the Penny Tap House since its ownership change and rebrand to The Penny Bar and Grill.

However, Johnson told the court that she now works for Shenanigan's Sports Bar but did work at the Penny Tap House on Jun. 18 and 19, 2021. She told the court that she was serving a group of about six people — three males for sure but could've been two or three females. On the stand and under oath, she could not fully recall.

That night, the bartender claimed, the group all seemed to be having a good time. She said they did not seem over-intoxicated and had only ordered two rounds of shots. Johnson did not see the crew leave the bar but approximately 20 minutes later she heard a group of military patrons talking about 'a real bad fight' that had taken place outside. 

She said she left her station behind the bar and went outside. Once outside, Johnson said she witnessed a man in a blood-stained white shirt put a man in a car, tell the driver to "go, go, go," the he hopped into another truck, and drove out of the parking lot. She said after the apparent victim and party departed, she discovered the pool of blood, the ring that had been mentioned all week long, and a gold watch.

Johnson said that she picked up the watch and took it inside. Believing the gold watch was valuable, she claimed that she didn't want it to go missing if the victim came back to retrieve it. However, once police arrived Johnson gave officers the watch. 

Defense Attorney Rae Liefeste showed Johnson footage of video surveillance of the inside of the bar that night. In the video, it showed the defendant, Jose Trevino, and the victim, Jason Garivay, and Garivay's brother, Eddie Chavarria all drinking at the table. At some point things turned heated between Garivay and Trevino. In the video Garivay was forced to be held back by his girlfriend. Then the group got up from their seats and left the bar through the front door.

The defense asked who seemed to be the aggressor in the situation. Her response was both. Despite that, under further questioning from Liefeste, Johnson ended up admitting that someone being held back was likely the aggressor. In rebuttal, the state asked Johnson if she had actually seen or heard the conversation in person. The video footage had no audio. Her answer was no.

The trial will continue throughout the week with testimony likely wrapping up by Friday.