EDINBURG — Hidalgo County’s first jury trial in about 17 months nearly ended in an attack on a 34-year-old Mercedes man who had just been sentenced to 85 years in prison for fatally stabbing a teenager late last year.
The dramatic scene unfolded Thursday in front of jurors and all the parties in the courtroom, as well as around 70 people who were watching the proceedings streamed live on YouTube — a new accommodation brought on by the pandemic forcing the judiciary to adapt as it worked to hold safe hearings and remain open to the public.
After Armando Torres IV’s mother, Norma Garcia, finished addressing Fidencio Castillo Cosme, who she repeatedly called trash during victim impact statements, her long-term partner Prentis Alcalar said a few words before rushing Fidencio, who was convicted Wednesday of fatally stabbing Torres on Sept. 28, 2020.
Torres suffered a 4-inch wound to his chest that punctured his sternum and cut an area of the teen’s lung that attaches to his heart, essentially causing him to drown in his own blood, according to a forensic pathologist who testified.
Alcalar rushed Fidencio, causing the defense table to be knocked over as deputies closed in on the man, preventing him from reaching the defendant.
Fidencio’s attorney, O. Rene Flores, stood tall in front of his client with his arms out wide, shielding Fidencio from Alcalar who was pulled away and removed from the 370th state district court.
The defendant’s mother, Hilda Rodriguez, had a verbal outburst following Alcalar’s attempted attack.
The disturbance followed five days of witness testimony and evidence that showed Fidencio and his brother, 37-year-old Juan Jose Cosme, attacked Torres, who was wearing headphones, from behind in broad daylight just after 1 p.m. because they believed he had been casing their mother’s house for a robbery.
Prosecutors have said Juan put Torres in a headlock and Fidencio slashed at him about a dozen times before stabbing him in the chest.
Juan is also charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty. He is awaiting trial and remains jailed on a $1 million bond.
Torres’ best friend, who was with the 16-year-old the night Fidencio and Juan confronted them in the alley, told jurors a different story than the statement that Fidencio provided Mercedes police.
The Monitor is referring to Torres’ best friend as Miguel, a pseudonym used by the Mercedes Police Department in its investigation, because he is 16 and was 15 at the time of the murder.
Miguel told jurors that he and Torres were in the alley at 1 a.m. because they were hiding from police.
The pair knew they were violating the pandemic curfew for minors in place at the time.
Torres had been walking to Miguel’s house the day of his murder to hang out and smoke some marijuana.
Hours before the courtroom outburst, Torres’ mother recalled Sept. 28, 2020, while testifying.
Norma Garcia was washing dishes that day when she received a call from Miguel’s mother about whether Torres was at his house.
Miguel had told his mom that he thought something was wrong, and he testified how he was on Facebook Messenger with Torres and only heard the sound of wind before Torres’ phone suddenly shut off.
When Garcia received the call, she grabbed her keys to look for her son, who she believed had gone to a nearby store.
Alcalar joined her as they searched the neighborhood for Torres before finding that police had secured an area near Dallas and Heidrick streets.
“My heart was telling me my son was there,” she testified while crying.
Garcia told the jury how her son was covered by a white sheet but she knew it was him because she saw his shoes.
“I wanted to get away from the cops because I wanted to uncover him. I wanted to see my son,” she said, sobbing.
When asked what she thought a just sentence would be, Garcia told prosecutors she wished she could say a life for a life.
“Nothing is sufficient because my son, no one is going to bring him back,” she said.
Garcia described Torres as a timid child who was close to her.
He had goals to graduate and wanted to reach the age where he could work in the refineries.
Fidencio showed no emotion at any point during the trial or after being sentenced to 85 years in prison.
He told state District Judge Noe Gonzalez that he would appeal.
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