More family members testify in trial

AUSTIN (KXAN) - More family members were questioned Friday afternoon as the capital murder trial of Areli Escobar continued after a break for lunch.

Emilio Lopez is the son of the defendant's former girlfriend, Zoe Lopez. He told prosecutors he received text messages from his mother on the night of Bianca Maldonado's murder two years ago . He reported that she was angry and that some of her texts worried him because his mother thought Escobar had raped someone.

He said his mother discussed with him what had happened with Areli Escobar, the texts and the phone call with the screaming voice on the other end.

Emilio Lopez learned about the murder while watching the news that Sunday night and said he kept his eyes and ears open for anything particularly strange. He said it seemed like too much of a coincidence and he urged his mother to call police and also contacted police himself.

After the witness was dismissed, Nancy Escobar, 21, sister of the defendant was called to the stand. She said she went out the night of the murder with her brother and some other friends. They went to Escapade, a club nearby the Huntington apartments, before coming home sometime between 2:30 a.m. and 3 a.m.

She said her brother was drinking but not drunk. His walking appeared to be normal and he did not appear to be injured and had no cuts or swelling on his face.

Nancy Escobar said Zoe Lopez went straight back to Areli Escobar's room and did not see the two again. It was her assumption that they were upset with each other.

After going to bed, Nancy Escobar said she was awakened by a text message from Zoe Lopez. Nancy said she was angry and she felt Areli Escobar was cheating on her and having sex with another girl.

Nancy Escobar then got a text from her mother asking if her brother had been in a fight at the club because he looked like he had been beat up and had blood on his clothes. Nancy Escobar next texted Zoe Lopez with word of what her mother had just said.

She testified that her brother appeared to be injured the next time she saw him.

“His back was killing him, he was complaining about his wrist, he had marks on his face.”

Nancy Escobar said Areli Escobar told her he was beaten up at the apartment by some guys who were upset that he was "burning rubber."

Before being dismissed from the witness stad, she said she had never heard of Bianca Maldonado before. On her way out of the courtroom, she gave a small smile to her brother sitting at the defendant’s table.

An interpreter helped with the testimony of Areli Escobar's mother, Valeria Escobar. She struggled with the first few questions, saying she does not remember the details of what is being asked.

The jury was dismissed for a few minutes while attorneys reviewed statements made by Valeria Escobar.

After court resumed, the defendant's mother still struggled to remember much of the details about the night Areli Escobar showed up to her house wearing a bloody shirt. She was dismissed from the witness stand, but not before requesting to say something before the court. Her request was denied.

Next, Rosa Escobar was called to testify. She is the woman who introduced Areli Escobar to her friend, Zoe Lopez.
When talking about the phone call she got from Zoe Lopez, she said Lopez was crying hysterically because she thought Areli Escobar was cheating on her. She said Zoe Lopez asked if she knew who the girl was.

Rosa Escobar testified that Areli Escobar told her he had been jumped, and his back was injured and nose bloodied. He told her he had been in two fights; one before and one after leaving his mother’s house.

Rosa said that a couple of days before he was arrested, Areli Escobar could barely walk and she wanted to take him to see a doctor.

Morning testimony

Testimony resumed Friday morning in the second day of the trial. Court opened with testimony from a crime scene specialist who took pictures and collected evidence from the scene on May 31, 2009.

The body of 17-year-old Bianca Maldonado was found early that morning by her sister, Dania, now 16, and mother, Jacqueline Hernandez, after they returned home from working a paper delivery route. The 1-year-old son of Bianca was found lying face down at his mother's feet. The boy survived, but was in the room when his mother was killed.

The specialist showed the jury a pair of blue, blood-stained shorts. He displayed a blood-stained red shirt that he said was cut off the baby by paramedics before he was taken to the hospital and said that a diaper with blood on it was taken as evidence from the apartment.

Detective Charles Riley was called as the second witness of the day. He specializes in digital evidence.

Riley said he met with Zoe Lopez, Escobar's former girlfriend, after the crime. She gave him permission to go through her cell phone to retrieve information. Riley said he seached the memory and SIM card where he found text messages, sent messages, deleted items, photos and a contact list.

Riley also took information from Maldonado's