Nearly two years after four suspects were charged in the drive-by shooting that killed a 6-year-old Mission girl, they seem to be heading to trial in the spring.
A hearing on Wednesday morning saw Juan Ramon Garcia Olaguez, William Garcia, Daniel Guzman Flores and Marco Antonio Chairez appear before state District Judge Noe Gonzalez who asked the defense and state prosecutor when the case would head to trial.
Ultimately, they agreed the trial could begin some time around spring break.
On Feb. 23, 2021, Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra confirmed that evening the girl was shot and killed in her home as she watched television with her younger brother.
She was identified as Yvone Adele Mireles when the men were arraigned on an indictment charging them with capital murder of a child under ten years old.
Guerra said that deputies responded to a call reporting deadly conduct at about 5:07 p.m. which occurred in the 2400 block of Valencia Avenue.
“She died instantly,” Guerra said that day.
He added that around four vehicles showed up and fired what police believe to have been about 30 rounds into the house.
At the time, a person of interest was taken into custody and police managed to find one of the four vehicles involved.
The four suspects were indicted on June 7 and then arraigned the following Monday.
Last year in September, Yvone’s mother, Juliana Balderas, appeared at a hearing with several family members wearing custom t-shirts with the child’s photo printed on them.
As Chairez walked past Balderas, she shouted at him saying that he knew what he did.
Balderas described her daughter as her “first love” and said she loved to make TikTok videos, dancing and playing with her little brother who she was very close with.
“It angers me,” Balderas said that day in Spanish. “I know they have kids of their own and I know they wouldn’t like this happening to them.”
All four suspects have pleaded not guilty.
