Nevarez v. State

847 S.W.2d 637, 1993 WL 15618
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 17, 1993
Docket08-91-00083-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 847 S.W.2d 637 (Nevarez v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nevarez v. State, 847 S.W.2d 637, 1993 WL 15618 (Tex. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION

BARAJAS, Justice.

This is an appeal from a conviction for the offense of murder. After a jury’s verdict finding Appellant guilty, the trial court assessed punishment at 50 years’ imprisonment in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. In twenty-four points of error, Appellant attacks the judgment of conviction. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

I. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE

The record reveals that on February 19, 1990, Scott Matthew Sanner, a plant protection and quarantine officer for the United States Department of Agriculture, was stationed at the primary inspection booth located at the United States Port of Entry at Ysleta, Texas. At approximately 4:45 p.m., Officer Sanner spoke with the victim in the instant case, Customs Inspector Timothy McCaghren, who had just placed the license plate number of an approaching vehicle, a van, into a computer. Appellant was the driver and sole occupant of the van. 1 Officer Sanner testified that as he approached the window on the passenger side of Appellant’s van, he thought he smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the outside of the van. He stated that he placed his head inside the van but he did not detect the same odor. Sanner asked for some identification; however, Appellant indicated that he did not have a wallet. Officer Sanner than asked Appellant to open the rear door of his van. Inspector McCaghren was standing approximately six feet to Officer Sanner’s right, observing the conversation. Officer Sanner stated that Appellant’s van began rolling slowly and suddenly took off very fast with the engine accelerating. Both the victim and Officer Sanner yelled at Appellant. The record established that the victim latched onto the passenger door of Appellant's van as it sped away from the inspection area. The victim was seen keeping his knees up in order that his legs would not be dragging on the ground.

Officer Sanner further testified that there was no obstruction between Appellant and the passenger door window. While the victim was holding on to the side of Appellant’s van, his head was seen above the bottom portion of the window. Appellant’s van kept speeding away, exhibiting no attempt to stop, although it did not appear to veer to the left or the right.

The record further shows that at the time of the incident, Robert Jones, a customs inspector with the United States Customs Service, heard the squealing of tires and shouting that sounded like, “Stop, stop, hold it.” He also saw a van pulling away from one of the lanes and then observed the victim running alongside the van. Inspector Jones testified that he saw the victim grab the passenger side rearview mirror and lifted himself up to the window while swinging his feet above the ground. Inspector Jones likewise stated that the victim’s head was above the bottom sill of the passenger side window.

Jose Ledesma, the supervising inspector with the United States Customs Service at the time of the incident, testified that he saw Officer Sanner talking to an individual driving a brown van. He stated that the driver of the van “gunned” or accelerated the vehicle and that the victim jumped on the door and hooked his hands on the edge of the passenger door. Inspector Ledesma further stated that the van proceeded “like 90 miles an hour” with the victim managing to get both his feet up on the door of the van. Finally, Inspector Ledesma testified that as the van drove away, he saw Appellant with a grimace on his face, looking at the victim.

*640 The State, in its case-in-chief, additionally called Douglas B. Dickens, an inspector with the United States Customs Service. Inspector Dickens stated that he heard yelling and saw a brown Dodge van rapidly accelerate away from the inspection area. He further testified that he saw the victim, Inspector McCaghren, clinging to the passenger door and saw him pull himself up to the door as the vehicle sped away. He stated that he witnessed the vehicle turn a corner and he saw the victim’s feet fly in the air. He further saw the vehicle accelerate down a street, and noticed that Inspector McCaghren was no longer clinging to the side of the van. Inspector Dickens testified that he got into his personal vehicle and went to find the victim. He found him laying on the edge of the roadway, approximately 300 yards from the Port of Entry. Inspector Dickens stated that the victim was laying on his back, bleeding from his nose, ears and mouth. The victim’s clothing was torn and he had lacerations on his legs. Inspector Dickens further testified that he noticed a dark, circular laceration over the victim’s eyebrow which was slightly bleeding. Inspector Dickens stated that he did not characterize the wound above the victim’s eyebrow as a pavement burn, but rather, appeared typical of an assault-type wound.

Inspection of Appellant’s vehicle revealed the existence of a pipe which was located between the seats of the van, within reach of the driver’s seat.

The record further demonstrates that Dr. Juan Contin, the El Paso County Medical Examiner, testified that the victim died as a result of a blow to the back of the head. Contin stated that while the victim had also suffered abrasions on his eyebrow and on the back of his hands, it was possible that these abrasions were caused by a blunt instrument such as the pipe found in Appellant’s van, although he could not with any certainty state that such was the case.

Jesus Guadalupe Acosta, testifying pursuant to a grant of federal, as well as state, immunity, testified that he had assisted Appellant in the loading of a quantity of marijuana under Appellant’s van in Mexico. The marijuana, secured by wires, consisted of six or seven packages weighing between sixty-two and sixty-four pounds. 2 Acosta stated that he came into the United States and met with Appellant at which time Appellant is said to have stated, “I’m not worth a shit, I took an agent.” Acosta testified that he asked Appellant what had happened, to which Appellant responded that he had taken his fingers off the door. Acosta additionally stated that Appellant wanted to know where an individual by the name of Alejandro Parga lived in order that the marijuana could be delivered. Appellant was directed to Parga’s house where the marijuana was unloaded.

The record indicated that Appellant was arrested on February 24, 1990 by Juan Briones, a special agent for the United States Immigration Service. Agent Briones testified, on cross-examination, that Appellant, after being warned of his rights, voluntarily made an oral statement while en route to the police station. In his oral statement, Appellant related to Agent Briones that as the victim was hanging on to his van, he hit the victim’s hands. Agent Briones testified that he did not make further inquiry with respect as to how Appellant hit the victim’s hands. Agent Briones testified that Appellant further stated that at the time of the incident, he was taking three “hits” of heroin a day and that he was ill from a lack of heroin.

Several witnesses were presented by Appellant in his defense. Alejandro Parga, the alleged recipient of the marijuana, testified that he did not know Appellant or Guadalupe Acosta and further that he was not involved in any agreement to import marijuana into the United States on the day of the incident.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
847 S.W.2d 637, 1993 WL 15618, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nevarez-v-state-texapp-1993.