Trial: Were Roy & Rita the Instigators of the Park 2400 Murder?

SAN ANGELO, TX – Day 4 of the Park 2400 murder trial kicked off on Thursday morning when the jury was shown a jail house interview with the defendant, Jose 'Joe Angel' Trevino. The interview, in addition to the testimony from the detective in the interview, shined some light on the moments that led up to the death of Jason Garivay.

Garivay died of injuries sustained in the early morning hours of June 19, 2021 during a fight in the parking lot of the Park 2400 Shopping Center. He was rushed to the Shannon ER by friends that morning. Garivay was revived by the doctors in the emergency room but was in a coma until he succumbed to his injuries a week later on June 27, 2021. A grand jury indicted Trevino for Garivay's murder following an exhaustive police investigaion.

This morning of the fourth day of the murder trial started with the testimony of San Angelo Police Detective Keith Lane. He detailed what his investigation determined what happened that night. Lane told the jury that he had spoken to a number of witnesses. The most helpful witness was Garivay's girlfriend at the time.

The girlfriend informed the detective that six people were hanging out at the bar that night; Her, Garivay, Trevino, Trevino's friend Gabriel Gibbs, Garivay's brother Roy Chavarria, and his wife Rita. The officer attempted to get statements from everyone. The other initial person who gave a statement was Roy Chavarria. However he was very vague with the detective. On the stand, Detective Lane said he was playing the 'I didn't know anything and didn't see anything' game.

Chavarria's wife Rita completely dodged the cops. In fact, Detective Lane said to this day he has not obtained even a statement from her despite multiple attempts. This was no shock to the jury after hearing a testimony from Garivay's girlfriend yesterday. The girlfriend, who we will not name, almost refused to testify yesterday because of threats made against her.

Once the video of the detective's interview with Trevino was played in court, more light was shined on Rita and Roy's relationship with the deadly brawl in the parking lot of the Park 2400 Shopping Center. Trevino began his interrogation describing how the night began. He said that he, Garivay, and Gibbs had started hanging out at Gibbs' place before heading to the Penny Tap House in the Park 2400 Shopping Center. Once there, Trevino said that he and Garivay were having a good time shooting pool. That was until Roy and Rita showed up.

Trevino said that Roy and he already had problems in the past. However today he wasn't trying to start anything. Roy, on the other hand, apparently had other plans. Trevino claims that constantly throughout the night that Roy kept verbally provoking him. At one point, during a cocaine fueled bathroom trip, the two got into a heated exchange. The exchange was so heated that Trevino asked Garivay to tell his brother something. 

Instead, Garivay butted back at Trevino by telling him he's on his brother's (Roy Chavarria's) side. This led to the altercation heating up and moving outside. Roy and Rita, while walking out the bar, did try and get everyone to separate but the couple quickly changed their demeanors once the two — Garivey and Trevino —  were split. 

"I was at my truck and heard screaming," said Trevino during the interview. "Once I looked up I saw Roy like this [With spread out arms] saying What's Up Big Bro?" Trevino indicated in the interview that he was being encouraged to fight.

This would be the move that pushed Trevino to leave his truck and confront the two. Once he walked up to the couple, Garivay got out of his car. Garivay was punched in the face, and stomped out. Trevino told detectives that he only kicked him but later admitted that he may have stomped him.

After the fight, a badly injured Garivay and his crew drove to Shannon, speeding and running red lights due to his life-threatening injuries, where Garivay ultimately died. As for Trevino, he and Gibbs went to a place called My Bar on Bell Street. There, Trevino said Gibbs bought him a beer and then they went home. The next day, Trevino skipped town and went to Baytown.

Detectives were able to find Trevino after sending out a statewide "Be On The Lookout" request, or BOLO. During his absence from the San Angelo area, Trevino told police that he was contacted multiple times by Roy. The detective said Trevino did not specify for what. 

Could it be to continue to hide the truth? Well two months prior to the murder, Chavarria had been taken off of deferred adjudication probation for a stabbing that took place at a bar called Fiddlestrings in late 2014. He also has a number of prior arrests and convictions that include robbery, kidnapping, and possession of a controlled substance. As for Rita, she has no priors in Tom Green County.

Trevino ended the conversation by telling officers that while he was on the run, he had no idea Garivay had died. He said he didn't try to kill him. He told the detective that the fight wasn't just about defending himself. Rather, it was about pride, manhood, and survival.

The trial will continue Thursday afternoon, March 9, 2023. We expect to hear closing arguments soon, perhaps today.