WACO, Texas — WATCH LIVE: MARIA AGUILERA BRINGS THE LATEST DETAILS FROM 6 A.M. TO 7 A.M. ON TEXAS TODAY.
Thirteen witnesses took the stand Wednesday as testimonies began for Estela Fajardo, an ICE detainee accused of burglary and organized crime.
State prosecutors said Fajardo bought electronics and jewelry from two men Waco police arrested for a string of burglaries in 2016.
The state called Jatramaine King, a Waco man serving a 20-year sentence for burglary, as its first witness. The man testified he sold stolen jewelry to Fajardo, but she did not know it was stolen.
The state would also call Laderron Henry, who was arrested in 2016 for burglary of a habitation, to the stand.
Henry was defiant on the stand. He refused to answer the attorneys' questions and told the judge he did not want to testify against Fajardo anymore.
When asked if he knew for a fact Fajardo knew the merchandise was stolen when she bought it from him he repeatedly said, "I don't know."
A burglary detective with the Waco Police Department was called to testify as well. He said he executed the search warrant at Fajardo's home and found jewelry and electronics were found in the home. The detective also claimed a large safe on a pallet was in the living room.
According to the detective's testimony, 72 exhibits were seized from Fajardo's home.
The state also called three women who claimed to be burglary victims to the stand. Items said to belong to the women were found in Fajardo's apartment.
Two of the witnesses said they had $30,000 and $15,000 in jewelry stolen from their homes.
The third woman said a TV and Xbox were taken from her home in addition to some jewelry.
Her immigration attorney said a guilty verdict in the theft case would be detrimental to her deportation case because of a 1998 order. The immigration attorney asked ICE to rescind the old reinstatement of removal order so Fajardo could remain in Texas with her family.
According to leaders from the Waco Immigrants Alliance, Fajardo moved to McLennan County 30 years ago to escape violence in Mexico.
Members of the group have supported Fajardo since they heard her claim a female guard sexually assaulted her at the Jack Harwell Detention Center. Fajardo also told members of the group the jail denied her medication.
The McLennan County Sheriff's Department said their investigation determined the sexual assault claim was not true.
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