SAN ANTONIO ā During opening statements Tuesday in the murder trial of David Villarreal,Ā his lawyers said the 31-year-old stabbed his 29-year-oldĀ roommate Aaron Estrada to death in self-defense during a "drug-fueled battle for his life."
The two shared an apartment in the 12000 block of West AvenueĀ where the stabbing occurred on Oct.16, 2015.
Villarreal's defense attorneyĀ suggested the two had been involved in a heated argument over an elaborate security camera system Estrada had installed in the apartment.
Prosecutors told the jury that a friend of the men arrived at the apartment as Villarreal was leaving.
āHe is saying āI did it, I did itā, and heās freaking out,ā prosecutor Kimberly Gonzalez said.
What he did, Gonzalez said, was stab Estrada to death -- and it wasnāt self-defense, it was murder.
The men were involved in a romantic relationship and used drugs supplied by Estrada according to the defense.
Claiming the stabbing was self-defense, Villarrealās lawyer, Alex Scharff, said, āHe didnāt want to be in some kind of drug-fueled battle for his life, but thatās basically what happened.ā
Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday in Judge Jefferson Mooreās 186th District Court.
A guilty verdict could mean a life prison sentence for Villarreal.