CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — 12/8/2022 Update: Thelma Villarreal was found not guilty of murder.
****************
The woman accused of fatally shooting her ex-husband's girlfriend won't be getting out of jail like she wanted.
Thelma Villarreal is charged with murder and her bond was set at $1 million.
This morning, she asked that her bond be reduced to $300,000, but Judge Missy Medary denied her request, stating the victim had previously filed a protective order against Villarreal.
Police say that on Dec. 29, Villarreal went to her ex-husband's home on the 400 block of Homecrest St. where an argument started.
That's when she reportedly shot and killed her ex-husband's girlfriend, Alexandra Winfree.
During this morning's hearing, Winfree's mother, Alejandrina Winfree, took the stand. She claimed that Villarreal stalked her 21-year old daughter.
"She would visit me and look out my window and say "Oh, she's there". She would drive back and forth in the middle of the night and I was worried for (her) but nothing happened. Had I known what kind of danger she was in before, Winfree explained.
Winfree also had remorse because her daughter didn't tell her how bad the situation had become. "She didn't rely on me her best friend but all her friends knew about it."
During the hearing, Villarreal's attorney, Gabi Canales, asked Winfree if she knew her daughter was working as a dancer at Cheetah's Gentlemen's Club with Villarreal. Winfree said she only knew her daughter had to get a second job to pay her rent. She said she only knew her daughter was a server and was learning to dance.
The victim's brother, Diego Ramon Garcia, also took the stand. He said his sister was working at an emergency clinic. After her death, he found out his sister went from server to dancer.
While being questioned by Defense Attorney Gabi Canales, he said, "I understand the defendant has been in jail for 275 days. My sister has been dead for 275 days as well."
Canales asked Garcia, "Do you recall making a statement to police saying it wouldn't surprise you if your sister started this fight?" He said he didn't recall making that statement.
Judge Missy Medary set her trial date for Nov. 18.
