SAN ANTONIO – UPDATE: Multiple forensic scientists took the stand Thursday in the murder trial of Maria Garcia, who is accused of shooting and killing Jonanthony Seguin outside a West Side convenience store in 2017.
The scientists explained their findings and shed some perspective as to what might have happened the night of the murder.
If convicted, Garcia faces the maximum sentence of life in prison.
Testimony is expected to resume Monday.
(Previously)
A jury in a murder trial on Wednesday got a glimpse of a physical fight between a man and woman outside a West Side convenience store that ended in murder.
Maria Garcia, 49, is accused of shooting and killing and Jonanthony Seguin, 36, several hours after the two of them fought outside the convenience store.
The fight was captured on the store’s surveillance video. Several frames of the video were showed to the jury.
A few blocks away and about four hours later, the two confronted each other again at an intersection known for drug use called “The Tree.”
Witnesses told police that Seguin was laughing at Garcia and taunting her. She allegedly shot Seguin once in the eye, prosecutors told the jury during opening arguments, and then she approached his body and beat his face with the gun, shouting, “See what you made me do?”
San Antonio police Detective Adam Soto testified that his investigation was difficult because most people in the area were reluctant to talk.
“This is a high drug activity, high gang activity area, and nobody wants to be called a snitch,” Soto said. “Nobody wants to be the one to say, 'Hey, I saw so-and-so there on the corner talking to the police.'"
During the cross-examination, defense attorneys questioned whether the police investigation into Seguin’s death was thorough.
“As far as people I spoke to and the people that I felt would give me information that was relevant to the case, they’re in my report," Soto said.
He said that identifying witnesses, even if they were willing to talk, was a challenge because most chose to use only their street names.
Testimony is expected to resume Thursday in Judge Lori Valenzuela’s 437th District Court.