First jury trial since pandemic nearly ends in violence; 85 years for Mercedes man who murdered teen
EDINBURG — Hidalgo County’s first jury trial in about 17 months nearly ended in an attack on a 34-year-old Mercedes man who had just been sentenced to 85 years in prison for fatally stabbing a teenager late last year.
The dramatic scene unfolded Thursday in front of jurors and all the parties in the courtroom, as well as around 70 people who were watching the proceedings streamed live on YouTube — a new accommodation brought on by the pandemic forcing the judiciary to adapt as it worked to hold safe hearings and remain open to the public.
After Armando Torres IV’s mother, Norma Garcia, finished addressing Fidencio Castillo Cosme, who she repeatedly called trash during victim impact statements, her long-term partner Prentis Alcalar said a few words before rushing Fidencio, who was convicted Wednesday of fatally stabbing Torres on Sept. 28, 2020.
Torres suffered a 4-inch wound to his chest that punctured his sternum and cut an area of the teen’s lung that attaches to his heart, essentially causing him to drown in his own blood, according to a forensic pathologist who testified.
Read more: https://myrgv.com/local-news/2021/07/22/first-jury-trial-since-pandemic-nearly-ends-in-violence-85-years-for-mercedes-man-who-murdered-teen/