Damien Rodriguez, charged in the death of Lucia Grajeda, murder trial underway
AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The murder trial of a Hereford teen began Monday. Damien Rodriguez is charged in the death of Lucia Guajardo, 77. Guajardo called police the morning of July 30, 2009 to report she had been stabbed. The stabbing victim was taken to the hospital but died a short time later. Hereford police then launched an investigation which led to the arrests of two teenagers.
Sygorney Grajeda, 16, who was Lucia Guajardo's granddaughter, and Damien Rodriguez were arrested in August of that year and charged with murder.
A hearing in October was held to determine if the teens would be tried as adults. During the adult certification hearing, a Hereford judge waived jurisdiction and allowed the teens to be tried as adults.
A change of venue request was filed in June, just before Grajeda's case was scheduled to start. That request was denied, Grajeda was found guilty and sentenced to 45 years in jail.
Investigators said Grajeda was suspected of forging checks stolen from her grandmother in the weeks leading up to the killing, prosecutors also presented evidence of the teens drug use and DNA linking the granddaughter to the crime.
Jury selection for the murder trial of Rodriguez started Monday morning. There is no timetable as to how long the trial is expected to take.
