Jurors Shown Surveillance Video In Gables High Stabbing Trial
MIAMI - (CBSMiami.com) – The defense tried to discredit police in the Coral Gables High School stabbing murder trial.
Eighteen year old Andy Rodriguez is charged with second degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Juan Carlos Rivera, who was stabbed to death at the school in September 2009.
A Miami-Dade homicide detective took the stand.
During homicide Det. Juan Segovia's testimony, he said detectives conducted a 1 ½ hour "pre-interview" with Rodriguez before they videotaped their interrogation. During that unrecorded "pre-interview", Rodriguez insisted he acted in self-defense, a topic that was not brought up in the taped interrogation. Segovia testified that he did not see red marks on Rodriguez's neck, but reversed himself after being shown a previous sworn statement in which he said he did see the red marks.
Rodriguez has maintained that Rivera had him in a "choke" hold during the scuffle that led to Rivera's death. Rodriguez did not know Rivera had died until police completed their interviews. Segovia described Rodriguez's reaction as "one of disbelief."
Jurors were shown school surveillance video of the confrontation between Rodriguez and Rivera, just moments before Rivera was stabbed.
On Tuesday, jurors heard Rodriguez' videotaped interrogation taken by police shortly after the stabbing occurred.
In the interrogation tape, Rodriguez is questioned in Spanish about the sequence of events that led to the stabbing.
In the tape, Rodriguez stated that Rivera had his arm around his neck and wouldn't let him go.
"We bumped each other. I saw him charging at me," Rodriguez stated. "We began swinging at each other."
An interrogator said, "Was it [the bump] deliberate or an accident?"
Rodriguez said, "Maybe, but the way he was looking at me, it was no accident. It was with a bad face."
In the tape, Rodriguez admitted to stabbing Rivera but said it was after Rivera held him in a choke hold and refused to release him.
Rodriguez said he stabbed Rivera and ran away fearful that Rivera would continue to hurt him.
Rodriguez' attorney claims it was self-defense.
The state maintains Rodriguez killed Rivera in a jealous rage after his former girlfriend, Daimilsis Salgado, befriended him.
During the trial, jurors were shown photos and shorts belonging to Rodriguez showing Rivera's blood on it and the teeth that were knocked from Rivera's mouth. Shortly after, Rivera's mother at one point was overcome with emotion and left the court room.
Rodriguez faces life in prison if convicted.
