It was a restaurant robbery gone bad. And it left 54-year-old Miguel Angel Ventura dead. The man who wielded the knife, stabbing Ventura at least ten times, is in Mexico. The owner of the knife, on trial for murder.
At least, that’s the way prosecutors tell it.
In opening statements today, prosecutors told jurors that Jose Reyes and Alexander Gomez-Enamorado planned together to rob Ventura in the early morning hours of Nov. 8, 2010. They were armed with a knife. But when things went wrong, Reyes stabbed Ventura, at least ten times, including once through his right eye.
The knife belonged to Gomez-Enamorado, and prosecutors said Wednesday that he, the only one on trial, is guilty. Reyes, believed to be in Mexico, has not been arrested.
But defense attorneys say this story is wrong. That Gomez-Enamorado had no idea that Reyes was going to kill Ventura. That he was simply seated at the bar that morning when Reyes charged from the back of the restaurant holding a knife to Ventura’s throat.
Gomez-Enamorado is charged with three counts of felony murder while armed, conspiracy, robbery, burglary, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice in connection with Ventura’s death. Jurors heard opening statements in the case Wednesday morning.
Margarita O’Donnell, Gomez-Enamorado’s defense attorney, said that “nobody could have known” what Reyes was about to do, and that Gomez-Enamorado was “absolutely terrified” by his associate’s actions. O’Donnell said that Gomez-Enamorado was then “forced” by Reyes to go to New York immediately after the stabbing, but “he came right back to D.C. and told the police” about the crime he witnessed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner told jurors Wednesday that over the course of the 18-month investigation Gomez-Enamorado lied to police to minimize his role in Ventura’s death, but did say the knife was his.
Ventura was found fatally stabbed at a Northwest DC restaurant Nov. 8, 2010.
Deputy Medical Examiner Joseph Pestarn testified Wednesday that Ventura’s death was ruled a homicide due to “multiple blunt and sharp force injuries.” Pestarn identified 10 stab wounds, a broken nose, a broken cheekbone, and multiple wounds that cut the skin. Pestarn characterize a wound to the left side of Ventura’s forehead as “unusual” because it went “through the skull and injured the brain.” But none of Ventura’s wounds were instantly fatal, Pestarn testified. Instead, Ventura likely lost consciousness and died from loss of blood. With prompt medical attention, Pestarn said, Ventura “could have survived.”
Ventura’s daughter, Opelia Ventura, told jurors that on the afternoon of her father’s murder she tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. She said it was “unusual,” so she stopped by the restaurant.
She said her father was left unrecognizable.
“I said to myself, it can’t be him,” Opelia said.
The trial is scheduled to resume Thursday in Judge Russell Canan’s courtroom.
