Closing arguments in murder kidnapping trial
ORLAND » Calling the defense’s version of events “possible — but not reasonable,” Glenn County District Attorney Dwayne Stewart asked a jury to return guilty verdicts for murder and kidnapping in the trial of Alfredo Ruvalcaba on Monday.
“He’s been lying for years — to the family, to the courts, to law enforcement,” Stewart told the jury of eight women and four men in Glenn County Superior Court. “He is guilty.”
Ruvalcaba’s attorney, Jesse Santana, said the prosecution “did not prove (its case) beyond a reasonable doubt,” and asked for a verdict of not guilty on both counts.
Ruvalcaba, 60, of Artois, is charged with kidnapping Melissa Esquivel-Flores, 16, of Nord on the evening of July 3, 2015 and killing her with a single shotgun blast to her face at his shop on County Road D southwest of Orland. He had previously been charged with continuing sexual abuse of a child in Butte County in 2013; that charge was dropped after the death of Esquivel-Flores in 2015.
In his closing argument, Stewart focused on Ruvalcaba’s relationship with the underaged girl and what he called a confession delivered during an interview at Enloe Medical Center in the days after Esquivel-Flores’ death.
Ruvalcaba testified last week that he attempted to kill himself after the girl accidentally killed herself with a shotgun, saying he first tried to shoot himself and then consumed 40 anti-anxiety pills and a bottle of tequila.
“Miles from home with no purse, no clothes, no shoes,” be
gan Stewart, describing the 30-mile drive Ruvalcaba took with the girl that night. “She doesn’t want to go — she grabs for the keys. He puts her in the back seat … you can’t have a seminaked child in your truck, so he puts her in the back seat.”
Ruvalcaba had testified that the girl entered his pickup willingly, wearing only a bra and panties.
Describing the events at the shop, Stewart said Ruvalcaba “takes the shotgun, forces her in, puts it right up on her eye at a 90-degree angle, and pulls the trigger.”
“He took her miles away from her home to get rid of those criminal charges,” Stewart said.
Stewart also recapped an interview Detective Greg Felton of the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office conducted with Ruvalcaba at Enloe Medical Center, saying the man had admitted to the shooting.
Santana spent part of his closing argument countering that hospital confession, replaying parts of the video.
“Mr. Stewart is relying to a great extent on the statement in the hospital,” Santana said, telling the jury to “consider the statement along with all of the other evidence.”
Santana reminded the jury of the testimony of Dr. Douglas Tucker, who testified that Santana was still in a state of encephalopathy during the interview. Tucker testified that the combination of the 40 pills, alcohol and dehydration impacted Santana’s memory for several days to come.
“He was drifting in and out … a dream-like state,” Santana said. “Look at some of the (inconsistent) statements he made.”
Rebutting the kidnapping charge, Santana noted that Melissa Esquivel-Flores had called Ruvalcaba 60 times between June 30 and July 3, and he had called her six, and there were 11 missed calls. They talked 10 times before meeting at a party in Orland earlier on the evening of July 3, Santana said.
“There is no evidence of any struggle. There is no evidence of a kidnapping,” Santana said, saying the two were in a “committed relationship.”
Recounting Ruvalcaba’s testimony about the gathering on July 3, “She said ‘I want to see you tonight,’ “Santana said.
Santana also showed a photo of what he called “grease” on the girl’s right toe, saying the shotgun that had been kept in the shop was in a “dirty, greasy state.” The defense has said Esquivel-Flores died when she pulled the trigger of the shotgun with her toe.
“The government did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Santana concluded.
In the closing argument for the state, Stewart told the jury that “Melissa is not here to tell her side of the story” and the defense’s version of events was “just one coincidence too many to make this reasonable. You’d have to believe every lie; the defendant is guilty of each of these charges.”
Judge Robert Moody had planned to deliver jury instructions Monday afternoon, but a dispute arose between Santana and Moody over the absence of some requested changes, so the trial was adjourned for the day.
The trial is scheduled to move on to its 11th day Tuesday at 9 a.m. with jury instructions at Glenn County Superior Court, with the case going to the jury afterward.