Jury Selection; Opening Statements Presented In Trial Of Man Accused Of Killing Man At Anthony Rest Stop

It’s been more than a year since a young San Antonio man was robbed and killed at a New Mexico rest stop, then set on fire.

On Monday, the jury was selected in the trial of Irvin Ramirez, the accused trigger man.

After spending most of the day selecting the jury, both the prosecution and defense gave their opening statements.

The defense pointed the finger at another teenager who was allegedly involved.

The prosecution went step by step through the events leading up to Adam Espinoza’s death.

“The description of the crimes probably will shock you, probably will sicken you to some degree,” said assistant district attorney Scot Key.

As he described what happened to the jury, Ramirez showed little emotion. Now 18-years-old, he is accused of killing Espinoza, 20, in January 2010.

Espinoza was on his way from San Antonio to move in with his sister in Oceanside, Calif.

Prosecutors said he stopped at a rest stop in Anthony, N.M. to take a nap when Ramirez along with Javier Orozco, 17, approached Espinoza. They said Jorge Murillo, 20, was waiting in the get away car.

After robbing Espinoza, the men then allegedly drove the young man’s car into the desert where prosecutors said they poured gasoline on it.

“They put that car in drive and it went barreling over the hill,” Key said. He explained the evidence during the trial will also show Ramirez then set the car on fire.

But defense attorney Mario Torrez said there is no concrete evidence to prove his client was involved.

“You’ll hear originally that probably Irvin was not at the scene,” Torrez told jurors. “There was zero property located with Irvin Ramirez, there was zero blood found on Irvin Ramirez or his clothes,” he continued.

Torrez also mentioned there are no witnesses, only the word of Ramirez’s co-defendants who he said gave police several versions of what happened.

“It’s all sad, all of it. All of them, because all the lives are gone. That’s what this case is about. All the lives are gone,” Torrez said.

The trial is expected to last about ten days. Prosecutors said they plan to cal 28 witness to the stand, including Orozco and Murillo.