Renteria Resentencing Enters Third Day
EL PASO, Texas – Testimony continued Thursday in the resentencing hearing for convicted child killer David Renteria. He was initally sentenced to death for killing 5-year-old Alexandra Flores in November of 2001. That sentence was overturned because prosecutors failed to show evidence that Renteria may have been remorseful for killing the little girl.
The first witness to take the stand Thursday was a security guard who came into contact with Renteria at the lower valley Wal-Mart where he abducted Flores.Jaydee Trujillo told the court she was unable to identify Renteria on several occasions when asked by police in photo lineups and on videotape from the store. The defense hammered that fact home during cross examination, even pointing out that Trujillo had formal training in identification as a security guard.
The second witness was a social worker who was assigned to Renteria after he was convicted of an indecency with a child in 1994. Norma Reed treated Renteria after that offense for nearly seven years. She talked about his reluctance during treatment and his denial after being convicted of sexually abusing the 8-year-old daughter of a female friend.
Reed spent much of the day re-capping assessments of Renteria throughout the treatment, which took Renteria nearly twice as long to complete as others.
Eleven days after the murder of Alexandra, and just days before his arrest, Renteria met with Reed for the last time. In her notes, Reed indicated Renteria told her he now had an 18-year-old girlfriend who was still in high school and 4 months pregnant. He admitted he had not told his probation officer.
The defense admitted that Renteria was not a model patient, however, he continued with the treatment when he could despite financial difficulty. The prosecution asked Reed point-blank if she had thought Renteria was capable of such a horrendous crime.
“In the hours you spent with him in individual and group sessions, was there any indication he could commit this kind of capital murder by killing a 5-year-old child?” the defense attorney asked.
“No, there is not,” Reed responded.
Testimony will continue Friday. The police officer who processed Renteria’s van where DNA of Alexandra was found is expected to take the stand.
ABC-7 will be live at the courthouse and bring you all the details on KVIA.com and on ABC-7 at 4,5,6 and 10.
