MIAMI – Friday was a dramatic day in the trial of a teenager accused of fatally stabbing a classmate, as his ex-girlfriend testified and his mother collapsed in an emotional breakdown.
Andy Rodriguez, now 18, is charged with second-degree murder in the September 2009 stabbing death of Juan Carlos Rivera, 17, at Coral Gables High School. Prosecutors believe the two fought over a girl named Diamilsis Salgado, now 20, Rodriguez's former girlfriend.
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But on the stand Friday, Salgado, who never made eye contact with Rodriguez, insisted that was not true. When asked whether Rodriguez was jealous or possessive, Salgado said no.
Rivera was a new student, who Salgado said she befriended and gave rides to school.
When Salgado said it was a non-issue to Rodriguez, prosecutors hinted Salgado was protecting him.
"Do you care what happens to him?" prosecutor Marie Mato asked.
"Of course," Salgado answered in Spanish.
"That's why you've been talking to his attorney for the last two years, right?" Mato asked.
"I guess," Salgado said.
Jurors got a first look at the pen knife that killed Rivera. Salgado confirmed that Rodriguez had taken it with him for months for his work after school.
Rodriguez's mother drew jurors' attention by fainting in open court, and paramedics were called. The judge expressed concerns over the incident's effect on the case.
"She is wobbling, falling on the floor, being given water, making the signs of the cross, kissing a rosary and crying, causing jurors to look at her, and they might think she's the mother of the victim who is so sad," said Judge Dava Tunis.
At the defense's request, the judge has asked Rodriguez's mother to stay out of the courtroom for the remainder of the trial.