Garcia v. State

626 S.W.2d 46
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 9, 1981
Docket67877
StatusPublished
Cited by85 cases

This text of 626 S.W.2d 46 (Garcia v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garcia v. State, 626 S.W.2d 46 (Tex. 1981).

Opinion

OPINION

ONION, Presiding Judge.

This is an appeal from a conviction for capital murder in which the death penalty was assessed following the jury’s affirmative answers to the first two special issues under Article 37.071, V.A.C.C.P. 1 Appellant was indicted for murder while in the course of committing robbery. V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 19.03(a)(2).

Appellant was jointly indicted and jointly tried with Antonio Barrientes. The co-defendant, however, was acquitted by the jury.

At the outset we are confronted with appellant’s contention that the evidence is not sufficient to support the jury’s finding as to the issue of future dangerousness— the second special issue under Article 37.-071, supra. 2

Serano Villanueva and his cousins, Juan Manuel Villanueva and Pasqual Lopez, the deceased, all Mexican nationals, illegally crossed the Rio Grande River from Mexico into Texas about 8:30 p.m. on January 10, 1980. Their purpose was to seek work in Texas near Ricardo. Serano Villanueva had about $80.00 in United States currency and the deceased had about $200.00 in his wallet. After crossing the river and walking towards Brownsville, they found a hiding place where they stayed for about an hour. Leaving Juan Manuel in the hiding place, Serano and Pasqual went in search of a taxi to take them to the city limits of Brownsville.

During their search about 10 p.m. they came upon the appellant, Ernesto Garcia, Antonio Barrientes, Gilberto Rangel and Sotero Castillo in the back yard of the home of appellant’s father. These men were drinking beer and playing guitars. These men had been drinking for some time that day. Villanueva and Lopez asked for a ride to a taxi stand. Barrientes established by inquiry that the two men were from Mexico. Castillo stated he had no gas in his car so Villanueva offered to pay $5.00 for gas and finally agreed to pay $10.00 so that beer in addition to gas could be purchased. Castillo gave his car keys to Barrientes and Villanueva and the deceased Lopez got in the back of the car. Appellant, however, directed Villanueva to get in the front seat with Barrientes, the driver, and he got in the back seat with the deceased.

The foursome drove to a gas station. The deceased gave $10.00 to Villanueva who in turn gave the money to Barrientes for the purchase of gasoline. After they left *49 the service station, appellant told Bar-rientes to turn off the main thoroughfare and into a side street.

Serano Villanueva recalled that shortly* after the turn the appellant placed a gun to his head and demanded his and Lopez’s money as the car commenced to stop. Vil-lanueva saw the appellant hit Lopez with the gun, which he thought was a small .22 cal. gun, and when Lopez agreed to give up the money appellant shot Lopez. At this point Villanueva asked Barrientes what was happening. Barrientes told him he didn’t know but that Villanueva should “run.”

Villanueva left the car and began to run. Back on the main thoroughfare he headed towards the service station, but soon observed the same car coming towards him. He saw the appellant aim the gun at him, but the appellant did not shoot. He ran in a different direction, but after the car passed he continued on to the service station and asked that the police be called.

The next day the police found the body of the deceased in the grass near a river levee about a five minute drive from the service station in question. It appeared the body had been carried to the spot where it was found rather than being dragged. Lopez’s wallet and watch were missing and only a few Mexican coins were found in his clothing. There was a bullet wound above the right ear. The cause of death by virtue of an autopsy was shown to be a bullet wound to the head.

The co-defendant, Barrientes, age 25 years, testified in his own defense. He related that on January 10, 1980, he was playing basketball and drinking beer in Lincoln Park until about 5 p.m. when he went to appellant’s home and continued to drink in the yard until later that evening when two strangers appeared and asked to be taken to a taxi stand. He corroborated much of what Villanueva related as to what followed. Barrientes drove the strangers and the appellant Garcia first to the gas station where the deceased gave him $10.00 for the gas. After they drove away from the gas station he heard the appellant demand money and heard a struggle in the back seat “like they were punching at each other.” He turned off International Boulevard onto a side street at Garcia’s direction and about this time heard a shot. He began to stop the car. He related upon inquiry by Villanueva he told Villanueva that he didn’t know what was going on and told Villanueva to run and he did. Barrientes then drove several blocks and got back on International Boulevard where he again saw Villanueva. A short distance away Garcia told him to stop and tried to get into the front seat. Being afraid of Garcia, knowing he had a gun, Barrientes stopped the car and ran. He went to his grandmother’s house, but he decided to go back to the Garcia home to tell Sotero Castillo what had happened to Castillo’s car. While walking there, and about 20 minutes after he got out of the car, appellant Garcia drove up behind him. Appellant told him not to say anything about the blood in the car and appellant poured some salt on the stain on the car seat. He then drove with appellant to Garcia’s home where appellant said someone had “thrown up” and he was going to clean up the seat.

Barrientes testified he had never been convicted of a felony and had not planned with the appellant to rob the deceased.

The 31-year-old appellant testified that he lived with his parents and slept until 1 p.m. on January 10, 1980. He was unemployed. In the early afternoon he began drinking beer in the yard with a friend, and various other individuals later came by and drank with them. He stated that no strangers came by the yard and that he didn’t go driving anywhere in a car. He stated he went inside the house about 11:30 p.m. and told the others to go home. William Frago-so testified he was in the Garcia yard from 8 p.m. to midnight on the date in question and didn’t observe any strangers and did not see Castillo’s car there. Appellant’s father testified the appellant had lived at home all his life except for the three years he was in the “Marines.” He stated appellant was in the yard all evening.

The court charged on the defense of alibi which the jury rejected.

*50 At the penalty stage of the trial only one witness testified and his testimony was the only evidence offered at that phase of the proceedings. He was Jerry Landrum, a doctor of psychology, from Tyler. He testified he had been in private practice for 10 years, and taught at the University of Texas, Tyler Branch, in the Department of Criminal Justice. He agreed that it was possible to make a determination whether it is probable that a particular individual will commit violent acts in the future and be a threat to society. In response to how that determination could be made, he answered:

“Normally what you would want to look at is get some information from the individual himself, if he will become involved with you.

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Bluebook (online)
626 S.W.2d 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garcia-v-state-texcrimapp-1981.