Murder Suspect's Mother Collapses In Court
MIAMI (CBS4) – It was an emotional second day of testimony in the trial of a Coral Gables High School student accused of stabbing a classmate to death.
As Andy Rodriguez's former girlfriend testified, Rodriguez's mother Idalma De La Caridad Castresana Alfonso collapsed in the courtroom causing a brief disruption that required her to be taken to a hospital in a stretcher. Jurors were immediately escorted out.
Rodriguez, 18, is charged with second degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Juan Carlos Rivera, who was stabbed to death at Coral Gables High School in September 2009.
The trial resumed Friday afternoon with more testimony from Rodriguez's former girlfriend Daimilsis Salgado who was asked about her relationship with Rodriguez and Rivera.
She said she had no romantic interest in Rivera, but added that perhaps Rivera had interest in her. She said she and Rodriguez had broken up during the summer because they were no longer getting along.
The state prosecutor asked her about one incident, in which Rodriguez had asked her for her password to MySpace, a social networking website.
"He simply asked me for it, and I refused to give it to him," Salgado said as she spoke through a Spanish interpreter. "I didn't know the reason why he wanted to look at my profile."
She talked about how Rodriguez had gotten the knife, saying the two had gone together to a flea market to purchase the knife. She said Rodriguez used the pocket knife at his job at another flea market, which required him to open boxes.
Hours earlier, the police officer who arrested Rodriguez, John Luna, took the stand and talked about Rodriguez's arrest.
He recalled the day's events including the urgent call that went out on the radio about a possible stabbing at the school.
"I started giving him commands to get down on the ground, which he did," Officer Luna testified.
Luna was questioned as to why he drew his gun on Rodriguez.
"Because when it went out, besides the fight, there was a possible stabbing involved and I was not sure if he had a weapon or not," Officer Luna said.
Prosecutors also displayed the alleged murder weapon and showed a picture of Rodriguez in the back of a police car with blood spattered on his shorts.
Rodriguez is accused of stabbing Rivera with a box cutter as a fight between the pair spilled out into a school courtyard, where the wounded teen collapsed and died.
The defense claims self-defense in regards to the shooting. But a classmate saw it differently.
"Juan Carlos was trying to get up from the floor when the first stab occurred," Yoselyn Ramos, 18, testified.
Investigators said the two barely knew each other, but Rodriguez was upset because he believed that his girlfriend had given Rivera rides to school.
During Thursday's opening statements, prosecutors said Rodriguez committed premeditated murder.
"The defendant is guilty of murder, out of the jealousy and hate he had over Juan Carlos' interest he had in his high school girlfriend," said prosecutor Jean-Michael D'escoubet.
Rodriguez' defense attorney Lane Abraham showed the jury, by getting down on the floor and acting out the fight, why Rodriguez acted in self-defense.
"The other boy got the advantage quickly over Andy, and Andy was on the ground with the other boy behind him. The other boy was behind him and had him in a chokehold," explained Abraham on the floor in front of the jury.
The six-member jury will also see security video from the school which captured Rodriguez and Rivera fighting in the crowded school's courtyard during a break between classes. Off camera, Rivera was stabbed five times; the fatal wound punctured his heart.
The trial is expected to last about two weeks. Rodriguez faces life in prison if convicted.
