CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Justin Alex Tovar had another day in court on Thursday, Feb. 20. He’s charged in the stabbing death of 15-year-old Eriya Ruiz, which KRIS 6 News first reported on in June 2023.
KRIS 6 News was in the courtroom when the Assistant District Attorney, Michael Gordon, made the first motion request.
“We’d like to exclude the camera from the courtroom. Not the press, but just the cameras," Gordon said.
The judge denied that motion. The judge moved KRIS 6 News to watch the court proceeding over Zoom.
“Justin has been waiting to tell his story in the courtroom," Lisa Greenberg said. "We’re trying not to tell him in the media. We’d like his day in court, he’s looking forward to it and being able to tell his side.”
Greenberg, Tovar's attorney, spoke with KRIS 6 News for the first time since the 17-year-old was transferred. During the hearing, Greenberg told the court she planned to call an expert witness.
The attorney made another motion to disclose all experts and any evidence needed to help move the case forward. The families of Tovar and Ruiz were in the courtroom.
Both the District Attorney’s Office and Tovar’s attorneys agreed to the motions in an effort to move the case forward.
The DA's Office said all new evidence provided will be further analyzed.
It's unclear when the next hearing will be.
Most of his hearings were being held at County Court at Law 5 on Gollihar Road. The court is located next to the Nueces County Juvenile Center and handles juvenile cases and cases involved in Child Protective Services.
On Nov. 4, 2024, Judge Timothy McCoy ruled that Tovar would be tried as an adult in Eriya's death. Judge McCoy set a $1 million bond for Tovar. He was eventually moved to the Nueces County Jail, which typically houses suspects in criminal cases aged 17 and older. Tovar turned 17 in December 2024.
On June 2, 2023, James Ruiz, Eriya's father, found her in the front yard with multiple stab wounds before he went to work. According to the Nueces County Medical Examiner's report, Eriya was stabbed with a kitchen knife at least five times in her back, twice in her arm, and once in her neck. Also, she had several bruises on her face and body.
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