The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
January 5, 2007
BENTONVILLE -- Derrick Jefferson, 17, of Centerton was ordered out of a car and shot in the head so two men could have the money in his pocket, while two girls cried and watched from the back seat, Prosecutor Van Stone said Friday. Two men are being held without bond in connection with the early-morning Dec. 30 shooting death in north Springdale. One is a legal immigrant, in the United States on a work permit, and the other officials believe is in the country illegally. Erickson Dimas-Martinez, 21, is being held on a capital murder charge and Uris Galdamez Magana, 20, on an accomplice to capital murder charge. They appeared Friday morning before Benton County Circuit Judge David Clinger. Stone successfully argued Dimas-Martinez be held without bond because he allegedly shot Jefferson during an aggravated robbery. Magana wasn't granted bond because of his apparent illegal status. Prosecutors released a probable-cause affidavit by the Benton County Sheriff's Office Friday afternoon detailing interviews with a friend of Jefferson and two girls, each younger than 18, who met Jefferson and invited him to a party the night before he died. Jefferson's body was found by a passerby about 8:40 a.m. Dec. 30 in the driveway of a home at 4265 N. 40th St. in southcentral Benton County just outside Springdale.
The last evening of Jefferson's life began with a visit to a Fayetteville strip club with friends, according to the affidavit. Jefferson wore a white cloth hat with a short brim. Jefferson and a friend, Wilfredo Cortez, then went to Rio Bravo restaurant in Springdale, but it was closed. They met two girls in the parking lot. "Where's the party tonight?" Jefferson asked the girls, who invited them to a party at a duplex in east Springdale. The girls had been at the party earlier with Magana, whom they knew as "Jason." Dimas-Martinez was also there. After about 30 minutes at the party, Cortez decided to leave because he felt a male was trying to intimidate him. He told police he left about 1:30 a.m. Jefferson wanted to stay and began asking others to give him a ride home later. He offered gas money. Dimas-Martinez asked Jefferson how much, and Jefferson said he had about $30. Jefferson, Dimas-Martinez, Magana and the two girls got in Dimas-Martinez's red, four-door Honda. Dimas-Martinez told Jefferson to drive and climbed in the front passenger seat. He directed Jefferson to a Springdale home where he could "get some weed," the affidavit states. The others waited in the car, but Dimas-Martinez came back out shortly and said he couldn't get any there. They briefly drove on Interstate 540, then took a Springdale exit and stopped in the driveway of the North 40th Street home. Jefferson turned the car off. Dimas-Martinez and Magana got out, went to the front of the car and spoke for a minute or two. Dimas-Martinez approached the driver's side and asked everyone in the car if they had cell phones. They didn't. He pulled out a handgun, pointed it in Jefferson's face and ordered Jefferson out of the car, the affidavit states. "What's going on?" Jefferson asked. Magana had a knife in his hand, the girls told police. Dimas-Martinez ordered Jefferson to remove his coat and shirt and give him the money. He took Jefferson's hat. One of the girls got out of the car, crying, and Magana pointed the knife and told her to shut up and get back in the car, the affidavit states. "Why are you doing this to me?" Jefferson asked. "I thought we were cool. You are just going to leave me out here?" He walked toward Dimas-Martinez, who turned and shot him in the head, the affidavit states. Magana drove the car back to the party while Dimas-Martinez counted the money taken from Jefferson. He threw $10 at the girls and told them to keep quiet, the affidavit states. Magana then took the girls to his place nearby in Springdale. They went in his bedroom. He took out a handgun, removed its clip and emptied it. He wiped the gun, the clip and bullets with his sweatshirt. The next morning, he drove the girls home. On New Year's Day, police searched the duplex where the party was held. They found Jefferson's hat lying on top of a washing machine. They learned the identity of the girls Jan. 3 and interviewed them under prosecutor's subpoena. Police didn't identify the girls in the affidavit. One of the girls told police she didn't think Magana wanted Jefferson to be shot. Police haven't found the murder weapon, but located a .38 shell casing from the driveway where Jefferson's body was found. They arrested Dimas-Martinez Jan. 4 at a Springdale residence, where he was hiding in a closet. He denied meeting Jefferson and claimed he left the party about 11 p.m. and slept until 10 a.m.Dimas-Martinez is in the United States on a worker's permit valid until July 2007. He has been in Springdale for five months and works for a poultry company. He previously lived three years in California, where he was convicted of taking a vehicle without owner's consent, a misdemeanor, and driving under the influence. He did not use an interpreter during Friday's bond hearing, but one will be made available for a Jan. 22 arraignment. Public Defender Jay Saxton was appointed to represent him. Saxton did not object to his client being held without bond. Magana was arrested on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold. Police didn't explain when this took place, but said it was before they learned the girls' identities. He gave a false name but later gave a statement similar to that of the girls. He and Dimas-Martinez were drunk Dec. 30, he said. He denied wielding a knife but said he was holding a screwdriver when he told the girls to get back in the car before the shooting. He admitted cleaning the gun, and said two unknown men came by his residence later and retrieved it. They were driving Dimas-Martinez's car, he said. Magana has no known criminal history, but police don't yet know his work status or ties to the community. He used an interpreter in court Friday. Marianne Hudson with the conflicts office of the Arkansas Public Defender Commission was appointed to represent him. Hudson disagreed Magana aided or abetted in the shooting. The affidavit claims Dimas-Martinez forced the victim to drive the car that night, then stole the money and shot Jefferson, she said -- and Magana cooperated with officers. Clinger agreed there may be mitigating factors in Magana's case. "And perhaps legal defenses -- but there is sufficient evidence to hold him," he said. The judge accepted defense attorneys' request that certain portions of probable-cause affidavits be blacked out before being distributed to reporters. Prosecutor Van Stone removed most information on the fourth of six pages before releasing them.
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
January 5, 2007
BENTONVILLE -- Derrick Jefferson, 17, of Centerton was ordered out of a car and shot in the head so two men could have the money in his pocket, while two girls cried and watched from the back seat, Prosecutor Van Stone said Friday. Two men are being held without bond in connection with the early-morning Dec. 30 shooting death in north Springdale. One is a legal immigrant, in the United States on a work permit, and the other officials believe is in the country illegally. Erickson Dimas-Martinez, 21, is being held on a capital murder charge and Uris Galdamez Magana, 20, on an accomplice to capital murder charge. They appeared Friday morning before Benton County Circuit Judge David Clinger. Stone successfully argued Dimas-Martinez be held without bond because he allegedly shot Jefferson during an aggravated robbery. Magana wasn't granted bond because of his apparent illegal status. Prosecutors released a probable-cause affidavit by the Benton County Sheriff's Office Friday afternoon detailing interviews with a friend of Jefferson and two girls, each younger than 18, who met Jefferson and invited him to a party the night before he died. Jefferson's body was found by a passerby about 8:40 a.m. Dec. 30 in the driveway of a home at 4265 N. 40th St. in southcentral Benton County just outside Springdale.
The last evening of Jefferson's life began with a visit to a Fayetteville strip club with friends, according to the affidavit. Jefferson wore a white cloth hat with a short brim. Jefferson and a friend, Wilfredo Cortez, then went to Rio Bravo restaurant in Springdale, but it was closed. They met two girls in the parking lot. "Where's the party tonight?" Jefferson asked the girls, who invited them to a party at a duplex in east Springdale. The girls had been at the party earlier with Magana, whom they knew as "Jason." Dimas-Martinez was also there. After about 30 minutes at the party, Cortez decided to leave because he felt a male was trying to intimidate him. He told police he left about 1:30 a.m. Jefferson wanted to stay and began asking others to give him a ride home later. He offered gas money. Dimas-Martinez asked Jefferson how much, and Jefferson said he had about $30. Jefferson, Dimas-Martinez, Magana and the two girls got in Dimas-Martinez's red, four-door Honda. Dimas-Martinez told Jefferson to drive and climbed in the front passenger seat. He directed Jefferson to a Springdale home where he could "get some weed," the affidavit states. The others waited in the car, but Dimas-Martinez came back out shortly and said he couldn't get any there. They briefly drove on Interstate 540, then took a Springdale exit and stopped in the driveway of the North 40th Street home. Jefferson turned the car off. Dimas-Martinez and Magana got out, went to the front of the car and spoke for a minute or two. Dimas-Martinez approached the driver's side and asked everyone in the car if they had cell phones. They didn't. He pulled out a handgun, pointed it in Jefferson's face and ordered Jefferson out of the car, the affidavit states. "What's going on?" Jefferson asked. Magana had a knife in his hand, the girls told police. Dimas-Martinez ordered Jefferson to remove his coat and shirt and give him the money. He took Jefferson's hat. One of the girls got out of the car, crying, and Magana pointed the knife and told her to shut up and get back in the car, the affidavit states. "Why are you doing this to me?" Jefferson asked. "I thought we were cool. You are just going to leave me out here?" He walked toward Dimas-Martinez, who turned and shot him in the head, the affidavit states. Magana drove the car back to the party while Dimas-Martinez counted the money taken from Jefferson. He threw $10 at the girls and told them to keep quiet, the affidavit states. Magana then took the girls to his place nearby in Springdale. They went in his bedroom. He took out a handgun, removed its clip and emptied it. He wiped the gun, the clip and bullets with his sweatshirt. The next morning, he drove the girls home. On New Year's Day, police searched the duplex where the party was held. They found Jefferson's hat lying on top of a washing machine. They learned the identity of the girls Jan. 3 and interviewed them under prosecutor's subpoena. Police didn't identify the girls in the affidavit. One of the girls told police she didn't think Magana wanted Jefferson to be shot. Police haven't found the murder weapon, but located a .38 shell casing from the driveway where Jefferson's body was found. They arrested Dimas-Martinez Jan. 4 at a Springdale residence, where he was hiding in a closet. He denied meeting Jefferson and claimed he left the party about 11 p.m. and slept until 10 a.m.Dimas-Martinez is in the United States on a worker's permit valid until July 2007. He has been in Springdale for five months and works for a poultry company. He previously lived three years in California, where he was convicted of taking a vehicle without owner's consent, a misdemeanor, and driving under the influence. He did not use an interpreter during Friday's bond hearing, but one will be made available for a Jan. 22 arraignment. Public Defender Jay Saxton was appointed to represent him. Saxton did not object to his client being held without bond. Magana was arrested on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold. Police didn't explain when this took place, but said it was before they learned the girls' identities. He gave a false name but later gave a statement similar to that of the girls. He and Dimas-Martinez were drunk Dec. 30, he said. He denied wielding a knife but said he was holding a screwdriver when he told the girls to get back in the car before the shooting. He admitted cleaning the gun, and said two unknown men came by his residence later and retrieved it. They were driving Dimas-Martinez's car, he said. Magana has no known criminal history, but police don't yet know his work status or ties to the community. He used an interpreter in court Friday. Marianne Hudson with the conflicts office of the Arkansas Public Defender Commission was appointed to represent him. Hudson disagreed Magana aided or abetted in the shooting. The affidavit claims Dimas-Martinez forced the victim to drive the car that night, then stole the money and shot Jefferson, she said -- and Magana cooperated with officers. Clinger agreed there may be mitigating factors in Magana's case. "And perhaps legal defenses -- but there is sufficient evidence to hold him," he said. The judge accepted defense attorneys' request that certain portions of probable-cause affidavits be blacked out before being distributed to reporters. Prosecutor Van Stone removed most information on the fourth of six pages before releasing them.
2 comments:
derrick didnt deserve to die i hope those guys die in prison
derrick didnt deserve to die i hope those guys die in prison
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