An Odessa man on trial for murder told a jury Tuesday that while he fired a gun at a teenager two years ago, he never intended to kill him.
Tuesday was the second day in the trial of Desmond Tuggle. The 23-year-old is accused of shooting 17-year-old Osvaldo “Chevy” Renteria, 17, in the back on May 16, 2020 in the 1100 block of North Jackson Avenue.
Tuggle’s girlfriend, Destiny Barrera, testified Tuesday she’d made arrangements to sell 1/4 ounce of marijuana to someone via text and had asked Tuggle to drive her to meet her customer because she didn’t know him.
When they arrived at the Jackson Avenue apartments, Barrera told jurors she handed the marijuana to a young man who came to her side of Tuggle’s Dodge Nitro. She said he then gave her a $100 bill she suspected was fake.
She gave Tuggle the fake bill, mentioning her suspicions, and suddenly he was reaching across her with a gun, Barrera said.
“I leaned back and covered my ears and he shot out the window,” Barrera said.
As they drove away, Barrera said she asked Tuggle if he’d hit the teenager.
“He said ‘I don’t know. He either fell because I hit him or because he was scared,’” Barrera said.
Barrera and Tuggle were arrested the following morning, both on a murder charge.
Barrera told jurors she agreed to testify before the grand jury and at Tuggle’s trial, but prosecutors did not offer her a deal. She said the grand jury declined to indict her.
Dr. Tasha Greenberg, a deputy medical examiner with Tarrant County, testified Renteria died from a single gunshot wound to the back that pierced his lung and caused him to lose his entire body’s volume of blood.
Jurors also watched two surveillance videos Tuesday. In the videos, Renteria is seen approaching the Dodge and running away seconds later. A muzzle flash was also seen. Renteria fell face first roughly 20-25 feet away from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the hospital several hours later.
In addition, jurors saw a video of Sgt. Justin Caid interviewing Tuggle the morning after the slaying. Initially, Tuggle said he’d loaned his Dodge to Barrera, but after being told the murder was captured on video, he confessed to shooting Renteria.
During the interview, Tuggle said Renteria “snatched” the marijuana from Barrera and he fired at him because he was scared. He repeatedly begged Caid not to charge Barrera in the murder.
“It happened so fast. I just reacted. I wish things didn’t go down like that,” Tuggle said at one point.
“There’s no explanation. No reason for what I done,” he said at another point.
He told the detective he wasn’t going to survive in prison because no one there is going to care that Renteria was trying to “rob” them.
During his testimony Tuesday, Tuggle insisted that Renteria had robbed him despite being advised that robbery involves the taking of property through force or the threat of force or by causing bodily injury.
While Tuggle testified Renteria “snatched” the marijuana and Barrera said she handed it to him, both testified Renteria did not hit, push or threaten Barrera. Barrera also testified she didn’t think Renteria was armed; Tuggle said he didn’t see Renteria’s hands, but figured he was armed.
Tuggle told jurors he’s been robbed before and he was frightened.
“It was like a flight or fight moment and I chose to fight,” Tuggle said.
He said he pointed and fired the gun, but didn’t expect to hit anything.
Under questioning from his attorney, Johanna Curry, Tuggle said he agreed to give Barrera a ride that night not knowing they were going to a drug deal.
He also insisted he stopped dealing drugs after high school and drug-related texts on his phone were sent to Barrera, who often used his iPhone because she didn’t like her inexpensive phone.
During Caid’s testimony, jurors were shown multiple pictures from Tuggle’s phone of marijuana and weapons.
Tuggle told Ector County Assistant District Attorney Kortney Williams under cross-examination that the word “bro” in the texts was just a “figure of speech” and the texts setting up drug transactions were between Barrera and her customers.
He again insisted he reacted out of fear because Renteria reached into his vehicle.
“I did not invite him into my vehicle, which is an extension of my home,” under Texas state law, Tuggle said.
He fired the gun blindly, Tuggle said.
“I did not see him run away,” Tuggle said.
“Did you close your eyes?” Williams asked.
“No, ma’am. I just blacked out and I pulled the trigger,” Tuggle said.
Williams then asked Tuggle if he’d written an email to Barrera from the jail last month in which he said he was planning to sue the county and use the money to launch a music career on TikTok. He also wrote he was glad the laws in Texas regarding shooting people in the back have changed and he’s glad this is to be his last month in jail.
Tuggle acknowledged he wrote the email.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday morning in the 70th Judicial District Court.
