The jury has began deliberating in the capital trial murder of a man accused of shooting an off-duty Border Patrol agent during an alleged robbery attempt in Willacy County in August, 2014.
The man convicted Wednesday afternoon of murdering an off-duty Border Patrol agent showed no emotion as the judge read the jury’s verdict.
Gustavo Tijerina-Sandoval, of La Villa, stood motionless as 197th state District Judge Migdalia Lopez told Tijerina-Sandoval that the jury found him guilty of capital murder and attempted capital murder.
The jury convicted Tijerina-Sandoval of shooting and killing off-duty Border Patrol Agent Javier Vega Jr., of Kingsville, and shooting and injuring the man’s father, Javier Vega Sr., of La Feria, on August, 2014.
After the verdict, the family emotionally embraced each other, as well as embracing friends and members of law enforcement who investigated the case.
Judge Lopez scheduled the sentencing phase of the trial to begin at 1 p.m. Thursday. The Willacy County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty.
The prosecution plans to bring several witnesses and defense attorneys told Lopez they needed to talk to Tijerina-Sandoval to see how they were going to proceed.
On that fateful day, three generations of Vegas were at their favorite fishing spot in Willacy County when Tijerina-Sandoval and his co-defendant Ismael Hernandez-Vallejo, of Weslaco, who has entered a not guilty plea, attempted to rob the family.
Hernandez-Vallejo has not gone to trial yet.
According to court testimony, Tijerina-Sandoval owed $3,500 to someone because he lost a vehicle engine. That person was threatening Tijerina-Sandoval so the man concocted a plan to steal a vehicle, according to court testimony.
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2:30 p.m.
A Cameron County jury deliberated just a few hours before returning a guilty verdict in the capital murder trial of Gustavo Tijerina-Sandoval.
He killed off-duty Border Patrol agent Javier Vega Jr. during a robbery attempt in Willacy County in August, 2014.
Tijerina-Sandoval was also convicted of attempted capital murder for shooting and injuring the agent’s father.
We’ll have more details shortly.
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1:10 p.m.
The jury has began deliberating in the capital trial murder of a man accused of shooting an off-duty Border Patrol agent during an alleged robbery attempt in Willacy County in August, 2014.
Gustavo Tijerina-Sandoval, of La Villa, is charged with capital murder and attempted capital murder over accusations of the shooting and killing of Border Patrol agent Javier Vega Jr., of Kingsville, and the shooting and injuring of Javier Vega Sr., of La Feria, the agent’s father.
Tijerina-Sandoval’s co-defendant, Ismael Hernandez-Vallejo, of Weslaco, is being tried separately.
Both the Willacy County District Attorney’s Office and Tijerina-Sandoval’s defense ended closing arguments at 12:40 p.m.
Willacy County Assistant District Attorney Charles “Chuck” Mattingly told the jury that the only appropriate verdict is that Tijerina-Sandoval is guilty of capital murder and attempted capital murder.
“The only true verdict, in this case, is a verdict of guilty on both counts. Justice demands it. The law requires it. And, most importantly, the evidence proves it,” Mattingly said during closing arguments. “There can be no peace with out justice. Give the Vegas, their loved ones, their family, peace.”
Mattingly also said Tijerina-Sandoval deserves justice.
Defense Attorneys Aflredo Padilla and Nat Perez countered that the Willacy County District Attorney’s Office did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Tijerina-Sandoval fired the bullet that killed Vega Jr. and told jurors that the investigation was flawed and that Tijerina-Sandoval’s rights were violated after he was arrested.
Perez said Tijerina-Sandoval’s video-taped confession was not voluntary and also said that law enforcement turned a public defender who sought access to Tijerina-Sandoval away.
Perez also claimed that there was an argument between Tijerina-Sandoval and Vega Jr. and said that the Border Patrol agent fired the first shot.
“It is my belief he fired first,” Perez said during closing arguments.
Padilla said the Willacy County District Attorney’s never proved exactly what happened that day and instead relied on Tijerina-Sandoval’s confession.
“We still don’t know exactly what happened out there,” Padilla said.
Both Padilla and Perez asked the jury to find Tijerina-Sandoval not guilty on both counts.
“The only appropriate verdict in this case is not guilty to both charges,” Padilla said.
The Willacy County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty.
