Rodriguez Capital Murder Jury Trial Delayed

SAN ANGELO, TX -- 17-year-old Nicholas Abel Rodriguez is accused of capital murder in connection with the March 26, 2016 murders of 16-year-old Zane Lopez and 17-year-old Juan Guerrero.

Rodriguez's co-defendants, Neo Perez, Fred Angel Garcia and Eric Ramos were tried before Rodriguez.  As we reported earlier, Fred Angel Garcia plead guilty to murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.  Eric Ramos plead guilty to murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the murders.  Rodriguez was a minor at the time of the murders and was later certified as an adult to stand trial.  

Rodriguez was in court Monday for a hearing on any motions filed by attorneys in preparation for his jury trial in April.  In the brief court hearing, District Judge Jay Weatherby delayed the jury trial date.  Rodriguez has a pretrial hearing set in March and the judge and attorneys agreed to keep that hearing on the docket.   

On March 26, 2016, SAPD detectives with the Department’s Street Crimes Division and members of the Patrol Division located Rodriguez at a residence in the 2500 block of Bowie Street.

"Rodriguez was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Tom Green County Jail," said SAPD PIO Tracy Gonzalez. "His bond was set at $500,000. Rodriguez was certified as an adult earlier this year."

Rodriguez’s jury trial was set for April 23, 2018 but that date has been delayed.  A new jury trial date will be set later.  There are a dozen capital murder cases pending in Tom Green County.