WOODLAND, Calif. — Cross-examination reconvened Friday in Yolo County Superior Court in a felony murder case in which the accused is charged with shooting and killing his girlfriend.
Deputy District Attorney Adrienne Chin-Perez presented the court with audio from the 911 call made during the incident, during which the 11-year-old daughter of the accused’s girlfriend repeatedly told the dispatcher, “My mother was shot.”
DDA Chin-Perez then called Officer Daniel Gill of the West Sacramento Police Department, who was on duty and responded to the 911 call. Officer Gill testified and explained his role at the scene.
Officer Gill was asked whether the accused had been ordered to come outside and whether he complied with commands. He responded, “(The accused) wasn’t coming out like they were ordering him to.”
Sgt. Hector Torres of the West Sacramento Police Department was then called to testify on behalf of the People. Sgt. Torres explained his active medic role during the incident, as well as his medic training as a U.S. Air Force medical technician.
Deputy District Attorney Aaron Rojas presented the court with a set of photographs taken after the incident occurred. He emphasized the blood trails while questioning Sgt. Torres about his medic role in treating the wounds of the accused’s girlfriend.
DDA Rojas asked whether the woman was conscious, and Torres said she was.
“What was she saying?” DDA Rojas asked.
“I’m going to die,” Sgt. Torres stated.
Sgt. Torres continued testifying, stating that the wound led him to assess that the woman had suffered a gunshot wound to her upper back.
“Once I turned her to her back on the right side, I did see gushing blood coming out of her back,” Torres testified.
“How would you describe how she was acting at that moment?” DDA Rojas asked.
“She appeared frantic. She kept saying, ‘I’m going to die.’ It appeared like she was always going to give up, so I had to continue talking to her and motivate her to stay alive,” Sgt. Torres responded.
The next witness called was Rene Lopez, the responding paramedic for American Medical Response in Yolo County. Lopez testified about his experience treating the woman and the progression of her condition.
“She went from, you know, distraught, emotional distress, like not being combative but not being able to sit still, talking, to being less responsive. Right when we got to the hospital, I gave her a GCS [Glasgow Coma Scale] of three, which she was not moving, she wasn’t talking, her eyes weren’t opening up,” Lopez testified.
DDA Chin-Perez then asked what Lopez’s observations indicated based on his medical training and experience.
“Her heart rate’s high. She’s obviously had some trauma. We don’t know what is going on inside of her body, so her body is compensating. It’s the fight-or-flight mechanism for anybody to go through,” Lopez responded.
The final witness called to testify was Officer Jesus Gonzalez of the West Sacramento Police Department, who testified about finding the woman’s 3-month-old child while searching the house.
Judge Richardson ultimately dismissed and excused the jury for the lunch recess. The accused was remanded into the custody of the Sheriff, and bail remained set at no bail.
Further jury trial proceedings are scheduled for May 11 at 9 a.m.
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