The trial for the Lewisdale, Maryland, man who was charged with fatally shooting a 2-year-old boy last year started Wednesday.
Thursday will be the second day of testimony in Prince George’s County Court in the murder trial of 28-year-old Johnny Alejandro Turcios.
He’s charged with the murder of Jeremy Poou-Caceres in the February 2024 in a shooting that police said involved a dispute over drug dealing territory.
Poou-Caceres and his mother were walking nearby when they were struck by stray bullets. His mother, 19-year-old Rosa Caceres, was also shot, but survived.
It’s expected that additional forensic experts will start testimony on Thursday morning by detailing what type of weapon was used during the shooting.
On Wednesday, Caceres delivered dramatic testimony when she was called as the first witness. A family member sat in the courtroom with a stoic look on his face, fighting back tears as she testified for about 30 minutes and then was briefly cross-examined.
When asked by prosecutor Daniel Kim if she recognized the suspect and if he was at the shooting, she answered: “That’s him,” as he sat about 10 feet away from her at the defense table.
Kim said that even through Alejandro Turcios did not go to Langley Park with the intention of killing the child, he did intend to kill someone else, and he should be found guilty of murder.
During his questioning, defense attorney Keith Hiller tried to call her recollection of the shooting into question, telling the jury that Caceres only recognized the defendant after police showed her a picture of his client and she had seen a picture on social media.
Caceres told the jury she was pushing her son in a stroller from a nearly by McDonalds in Langley Park and four men jumped out of a stolen gold Ford Explorer and began shooting at other men. Both she and the child were struck by gunfire.
Caceres said she tried to shield the child as bullets were fired nearby, but she could not get him out of the stroller.
She said even though she was shot, her main concern was the safety of her son, who later died at a hospital.
After her testimony, Caceres sat quietly in the court with a relative and a court officer. She did briefly leave for about 10 minutes when prosecutors played police video of the chaotic crime scene in the moments after they arrived. She put her face in her hands, began to sob, and walked out.
The shooting occurred in the 1400 block of Kanawha Street. The SUV involved in the shooting was found a few hours later, parked on a nearby street.
In court documents, prosecutors said Alejandro-Turcios and another suspect were involved in a dispute with another man in what they said was a territorial disagreement over drug dealing.
Prosecutors said Alejandro Turcios was also on probation for a robbery at the time of the shooting.
The rest of the day was spent hearing from a number of Prince George’s County police who have been investigating the case and from Crime Scene Investigators to display and explain physical evidence to the jury. Officers seized a semiautomatic rifle and dozens of shell casings that they said matched ballistics from the rifle.
The defense said it expects to begin presenting its case later in the week and the case could be before a jury by next Tuesday.
Israel Fuentes Jr., 34, of Lewisdale, is also awaiting trial in connection with the shooting and scheduled to go on trial by next January.
David Medina pleaded guilty to his charges; and the case against Nilson Granados-Trejo, 26, was dismissed because of lack of evidence.
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