Day 5 of trial for two men accused of deadly shooting outside Isotopes Park in 2023
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Friday is day five of the trial for Nathen Garley and Jose Romeo, who are accused of a shooting outside Isotopes Park that left an 11-year-old dead and his cousin injured in September 2023.
State prosecutors rested their case Thursday. So far, the defense has not called any witnesses to the stand in the trial but still could do so Friday.
State's witness testimony wraps up in trial for two men accused of killing 11-year-old
On Thursday, jurors heard from Daniel Gallego, a forensic pathologist at the Office of the Medical Investigator, and Colette Bridgewater, an Albuquerque Police Department digital intelligence expert.
Gallego testified that 11-year-old Froylan Villegas died due to gunshot wounds, and the manner of his death was homicide.
Police investigators said Nathen Garley, Jose Romero, and Daniel Gomez were driving in a Dodge Durango when Garley started shooting, hitting Froylan Villegas and his cousin Tatiana Villegas who were driving in a white truck with Froylan's mom and brother.
Froylan Villegas died on the scene, and Tatiana Villegas was left paralyzed as a result of the shooting. Investigators believe the Villegas' truck was mistaken for a truck belonging to a rival gang member.
Evidence presented by Bridgewater during the trial Thursday included location data that showed the suspects were at Isotopes Park and videos corroborating there was a rift between gangs.
Jurors also saw a text message between Isaiah Vasquez, a member of the rival gang, and Jose Romero, which was sent one day after the shooting. In the text, Vasquez told Romero that the suspects shot at the 'wrong truck.'
This is a joint trial for Garley and Romero, who are facing several charges, including first-degree murder. Gomez, who is also facing charges in the shooting, will be tried separately.
Closing arguments are expected to take place Friday.
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