JUDGE SAYS GIRL'S DAD TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY

A judge said Wednesday the evidence that spurred a fatal confrontation
between federal agents and a teenage girl was "not particularly strong" but
was still stout enough to justify arresting the youth's father.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Nowak's ruling capped a hearing that revealed
few details about a Drug Enforcement Administration stakeout that ended Feb.
9 when an agent shot 14-year-old Ashley Villarreal.

Instead, the proceeding focused on the allegations that drew the agents to
the Villarreal house on South San Joaquin Street: that Joey Angel Villarreal
has a key role in a narcotics trafficking cell.

Nowak said the evidence presented against the Tejano musician was not
especially impressive because crucial testimony came from criminal
informants. But the judge said it nonetheless convinced her that the
three-time drug offender should be detained without bond until a trial can
closely examine the accusations.

Officials spent little time at Wednesday's hearing discussing the stakeout
and shooting. When they did refer to it, they didn't mention Villarreal's
daughter Ashley by name.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joey Contreras said that when agents tried to stop a
black Mitsubishi Eclipse which was "suspiciously" leaving the Villarreal
house, the driver of the darkened vehicle "tried to run over an agent."

"That driver was shot and subsequently died," Contreras said.

By contrast, the prosecutor discussed Danny Robles by name. He was the
passenger in the car who claims Ashley never tried to hit the agents and
that the agents opened fire before identifying themselves.

Contreras said Wednesday that a car registered to Robles was used to pick up
a 4-kilogram package of cocaine in November. Robles was not present at the
time; the driver of the vehicle was arrested.

Authorities focused on Villarreal at the hearing, depicting the songwriter
as a member of a cell that, by investigators' estimates, distributed 55
kilograms of cocaine last year.

Crucial elements of the allegations stemmed from recorded telephone
conversations between cocaine trafficking suspects and someone called
"Joey." Contreras said more than one informant identified "Joey" as
Villarreal.

Contreras also told the judge that a bulletproof vest, two police scanners,
surveillance cameras and a rifle were found when local investigators
searched the Villarreal home in September. Officers also took a pistol and
about 5 grams of cocaine from a visitor at the house.

DEA Special Agent Nancy Sanford testified that Villarreal has been under
periodic surveillance for about six months.

She said agents resolved to arrest Villarreal on Feb. 9 after they got a tip
that he, his mom and daughter were packing their bags for Mexico.

When agents searched the house after the shooting, they found Villarreal was
not there. Nor were any suitcases packed. They discovered a Monterrey,
Mexico, phone number written on a pad.

Villarreal's sister testified that the family has many relatives in
Monterrey and that several members -- it wasn't clear if her brother was
among them -- were planning to attend a cousin's wedding there later this
month.

Officials also noted that, months earlier, Villarreal told his landlord he
wanted to break his lease because he was moving to Mexico. It would have
cost $3,000 to cancel the lease, and Villarreal never left the downtown
apartment