Store Security Guard Took The Stand In Renteria Resentencing

EL PASO, Texas – Family and friends packed an El Paso courtroom Wednesday for the second day of the resentencing of convicted child killer David Renteria.

The day began with videotape evidence from the lower valley Wal-Mart where five-year-old Alexandra Flores was abducted in November 2001. The man in charge of video security at Wal-Mart at that time of the abduction was called as a witness. He told the jury during questioning about the reaction of Alexandra’s parents the first time they saw surveillance video of Renteria leading their daughter out of the store.

“The mother went hysterical and then fainted. She said, ‘She was leaving with that man in front of her.’ The father then started hitting his head against the counter, and began crying,” he recalled.

The prosecution showed 15 video clips of Alexandra, the Flores family and Renteria inside the store over about a two hour period. They showed Renteria entering the store a first time around 4:30 p.m., then exiting the store alone around 5:07 p.m. The prosecution also showed clips of a lively Alexandra playing in the aisles with her brother and sister.

Then at 5:13 p.m., Renteria is shown re-entering the store, and just two minutes later, exiting with Alexandra , who would be found lifeless and burned under a west El Paso carport early the next morning.

Under cross examination,the Wal-Mart video security manager admitted he was unable to identify renteria as the man in the video.

But, during examinationon Wednesday,the first detective to speak with Renteria about the crime said Renteria admitted to being there that afternoon.

“Did he tell you why he was at Walmart that day?,” the prosecutor asked.

Officer Guillermo Martinez answered, “He did. He said he had gone there to buy some ingredients his wife needed to make some chile.”

During his first trial, Renteria admitted to police he abducted the girl, but he said he did under the pressure of Barrio Azteca gang members.