JURORS TOLD BOY AT PARTY BEFORE DEATH

EDINBURG (AP) -- A 12-year-old boy was seen with marijuana at a party with
one of his accused killers, hours before his death, a self-proclaimed gang
member testified Wednesday.

Noe Carrizales told jurors that David Cardenas and Andy Chapa -- a
15-year-old accused of capital murder in the seventh-grader's mutilation
death -- had the drug at a party Carrizales hosted at his home April 17.

"I told them not to be rolling joints because that's what my mother told me
to tell them," Carrizales said.

The testimony came on the second day of the capital murder trial of Pablo
Lucio Vasquez, 21, who claims voices in his head told him to kill Cardenas.
If convicted, Vasquez could be sentenced to death.

Cardenas was killed overnight sometime during the evening of April 17 and
18. He was scalped and dismembered and his remains were found five days
later under some aluminum slabs in a vacant field in Donna.

Robbery is the official motive in Cardenas' killing, although his death
stirred up talk about occult activity in Donna, a border city of about
14,000 people.

Seven others are accused in the crime, including Chapa, who is scheduled to
stand trial as an adult. Six others, including two teen-age girls, are
accused of helping to cover up the killing.

In other testimony, Carrizales said that Cardenas, Chapa and Vasquez showed
up together at the party, where beer was served to underage partygoers.
Carrizales said he didn't see Cardenas drink beer.

He also testified that when he asked Vasquez if he was a gang member, the
defendant replied, "I roll alone," indicating he wasn't affiliated with any
gang.

Jurors were shown graphic video footage of the crime scene, including shots
of the boy's mutilated remains. Donna police officer Joe Vecchio testified
that a bag of marijuana was found near the scene.

Under cross-examination from defense attorney Daniel Reyes, Vecchio said the
drugs could not be conclusively linked to the crime.