SAN ANTONIO – 7:45 p.m. Update:
A jury handed down a guilty verdict late Thursday in the murder trial of David Estrada.
Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl read the verdict, stating that Estrada was found guilty of felony murder.
The next step in the case is the punishment phase, which begins at 9:30 a.m., Friday and will decide Estrada’s time served behind bars.
He faces up to 99 years in prison for the murder of his ex-wife, Dominga Pesqueda, that happened in September of 2020.
After the verdict was read, Estrada was taken back into custody in handcuffs.
Original:
A jury has started deliberating in the trial of a man accused of running over and killing his ex-wife.
David Estrada faces up to 99 years in prison if convicted for the September 2020 murder of his ex-wife, Dominga Pesqueda, who was hit and killed by a truck while walking along Spur Valley Street.
On Thursday morning, both the prosecution and defense presented closing arguments in the case.
On Wednesday, the jury heard from SAPD Detective Juan Espinoza.
Estrada, who was found at the scene holding Pesqueda after the incident, at first refused to admit to police he had run her over, Espinoza testified.
“He was stuck on his story about someone else doing this,” testified Espinoza.
The detective said Estrada’s story began to change after investigators showed him pictures confirming fresh damage to his truck as well as the presence of blood.
“And then he tried to kind of blame her for not jumping out of the way, like she should have known,” said Espinoza.
If found guilty Estrada faces 5 to 99 years or life in prison.