Whether you watching this live or you watching this on the replay, I appreciate you for checking in with your boy. Time is one of the most important things that we have, so I never take it for granted that we actually able to spend some time together. What's going on, y'all? What's happening? All right. Let's see here. Uh Oh, [ __ ] Hey, uh okay. Damn, we starting off we starting off okay. I see how we starting off. Georgia sent uh you know, five gifted memberships. Appreciate that, Georgia. Okay, let's see who we got in the building, man. We got Share, Georgia, Wanda. Mhm, who else? LLM Okay. All right, bet. Bet, bet, bet, bet. What's going on, y'all? So, um yeah. So, today we got a video from um The Dakota. And the title of the video is Wait, hold on. Let me make sure. Okay. Yeah. All right, so we got a um Okay, we got Robert in the building. What's happening? Um so, yeah, we got a video from The Dakota and the title of the video is teen uses a fake date to lure a boy into a deadly trap, okay? Teen uses fake date to lure lure a boy into a deadly trap. All right, let's get into it, man. Let's see what this uh what they actually talking about. >> You think it was done out here? You think they dropped in here? >> It was done out here. It's the way the blood is. >> In a remote spot on the Pajarito Mesa, officers from the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office have arrived on the scene of a dead body. >> He's been out here for a while. >> I don't think so, man. I would say a couple of days. >> His death was no accident. >> To me, it looks like a fight over a gun or fight in general cuz she was off. >> But as things unfold, detectives will discover that this is far from an ordinary murder investigation. >> There's a time This needs to be radioed over. >> There are standard >> chairs and down. >> The investigation that follows will unearth a conspiracy. >> Luis, here, put that stuff down real quick. >> Can you call my mom or something? >> A plot to lure a >> Nah, we ain't calling your mom. Why everybody want to always call their mom, man, when they get in trouble? >> teenager to a remote spot, shoot him, and leave A plot to lure a teenager to a remote spot, shoot him, and leave him there for dead. >> So, the person that passed away? >> Yes. >> And you're literally out there where he got murdered, bro. >> It's a tragedy all the way around. You guys are so young. All you guys are. >> Here on the >> Wait, hold on. We know what it is when we see this. We know what it is when we see this, boy. When you sitting down and you got some McDonald's, ooh, you about to start singing, boy. >> Dakota, this is the chilling story of the murder of Jesus Quintana Cota. You can now watch our episodes ad-free on Spotify with a subscription. Link in the description. May 19th, 2024, New Mexico. >> Bernalillo County 911, what is the address of your emergency? >> We were just driving by and my mom saw a dead body. Well, she thought she saw something, so I came back and checked it out. >> A passerby has spotted a dead body lying on a dirt track in the Pajarito Mesa, a remote area outside Albuquerque. It lacks paved roads, running water, and electricity. The people who live there live in trailers scattered across the plain. They've learned to be self-sufficient and that sometimes it's best to look the other way if something bad's going down. >> Do you think they're beyond any help? >> Yeah, I think they're dead. >> Officers are dispatched to the scene 4:10 p.m. They get there 20 minutes later. >> You guys called real quick? Okay. I'll come talk to you guys in a second, okay? Just got to go over here real quick. >> Upon arrival, a number of things are immediately clear. >> It's going to be obvious 10-7. Go ahead and code for fire then. Now 122, can you start this way? 357 to 122, it's going to be a possible GSW to the eye. It's going to be a juvenile. >> Code 10-7 is police slang for deceased, and GSW stands for gunshot wound. The dead body is that of a kid, and he's been shot in the eye. >> And you guys said you were just driving by and saw him? And then what time was this? Just 5 to 10 minutes ago or >> It was like maybe 30 minutes ago. >> 30 minutes ago? Okay. So, I don't want to keep you guys up here for detectives if obviously you guys didn't see anything happen. You guys just drove past and just noticed a male laying here. >> So, he did pass away? >> Yeah, he's been deceased for a while. >> I figured by the color of his skin. >> I'm very surprised that you guys even saw someone up here cuz when we get calls up here, we only go up to like a certain point up over there cuz every time we do come up here, there is people who's like shooting guns, doing stuff. Obviously, I'm not going to have any shooting with someone over our here just negligently use like using your firearm. So, we wait for them when they go over there and we just cite them, but we never like fully go into the mesa unless we absolutely have to. Like under exigent circumstances is when we fully come up here. >> Those exigent circumstances have arrived, and the cops are soon going to learn that this remote location, rarely patrolled by the cops, is no coincidence. As other officers arrive on scene, they take a closer look at the body. >> I wonder if it's a GSW to his eye. >> That's what I'm thinking, especially like this here cuz the That's just the exit hole. >> What? >> Like that's from the exit hole. I'm thinking that it's >> Yeah. You see any other casings? >> Yeah. So, there's another one. >> Two casings. >> The only thing I could think of for them to be there if he got shot >> in the back of the head? >> Well, I don't know because unless his eye is the exit hole, but if it's that, it would be a lot bigger, you would think. >> His eye is the exit hole? Damn. What? >> other casings? >> Yeah. So, there's another one. >> Two casings. >> The only thing I could think of for them to be there if he got shot >> in the back of the head? >> Well, I don't know because unless his eye is the exit hole, but if it's that, it would be a lot bigger, you would think. >> The only thing is it's like what he pointed out, where the shell casings are >> It goes out right >> to like where he was where he's laying isn't very consistent. >> Oh, yeah. Unless he was laying down when they did it and they were >> Just on the other side. >> They were standing here and bam. You got to think they're doing this in broad daylight. I don't even know how they did that. >> Especially this close to like a house, I don't think so. >> To legit, I also don't think it probably happened here, man. Probably they beat him up here or did something here and then pulled him They were going to take his shoes. I don't know if he had shoes. That That just doesn't add up to me. The way the shell is ejected, also too, like I don't know if the hole needs to be a I think a little bit bigger hole or something. I mean, the eye >> That's why the the ejection on the back of his head is probably going >> Yeah. >> to be pretty big. But I think just the way like the blood's coming out and the way it's pulled, I definitely think it happened here. I don't think they like >> They just dumped him. >> kept him in a car and dumped him. And but if they did, it It have had to been really recent with the amount of blood. >> The scene holds a lot of contradictory evidence and the officers can't decide what exactly they think happened. >> Yeah, but that's weird because we don't see any other shells around here. Like if someone was out here shooting, we'd probably see more. >> Right. >> They could have been partying like drunk and got into a fight with him and then someone just pulls out a gun and shoots him. >> That's what I'm saying and everyone just scattered. >> Yeah. >> Like how that normally happens. >> Just cruising in the car and they happen to get into a fight like in the car or something. >> Yeah, and then they >> You >> There's a guy >> All right, brought him out here, executed him. So I >> With how hot it's been, I don't know. I wouldn't say more than a day. >> How old do you think he is? >> Definitely not 21. >> Why do you say that? >> He just looks very It's like under developed. >> Yeah. He has some hair on his chin. My brothers don't have a lot of facial hair and I think my my brother's like 23 and he looks like maybe close to that age or I'd say probably like 20. And he doesn't have a lot of dirt on him. That's also why I don't think he's >> Have you run into anyone today? >> No. >> I'm thinking two days but like you said, it could have happened legit sometime either yesterday or yesterday night. >> Yeah. >> Um just due to the heat shriveling the body. >> You should ask if anybody's called in about their kid. >> All right, come on, man. I'm ready to start. Let's go. Can we get into the starting to track down the suspects? Like come on. All right, we Damn, how long we going to talk in the desert for, man? >> Without the medical examiner, it's impossible to determine the time of death. He's wearing blue jeans, a black jacket and white Nike shoes with one of them off his foot. There's also no formal identification on his body except a debit card in the name of Jesus Quintana Cota. >> Here this morning, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office has opened a homicide investigation. It's after the body of a teenage boy was found on Pajarito Mesa. Police are asking anyone who may have information in the case to call the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. >> The next morning, a missing person's report is filed in Jesus' name by his aunt. This Jesus matches the description of the body on the mesa. He was seen on security recordings leaving his house at 6:00 p.m. on May 17th wearing blue jeans, a black jacket, and white shoes. And the aunt confirms that the body is Jesus. Jesus was 16 years old. He'd been living with his grandmother for the last 3 years since his mother was killed in Mexico. He'd recently dropped out of high school to work at some nearby restaurants trying to support his grandmother and earn money for his own future. But something bad seemed to be following him. He started showing up late for work. His truck got stolen. He was involved in a drive-by shooting. And one time, a month before his body was found on the mesa, he came home with visible injuries he wouldn't explain. When his grandmother pressed him, he finally said he'd been attacked on the street, but not why or by who. On the evening >> Hold on. Before we continue, man. So that's a Seems like the kid got a hard life, man. Your mom Your mom passes away. You got to go live with gram. Um gram income is probably, you know, not that great or whatever. It's, you know, to the point to where you got to drop out of high school and then go work, you know, and um you know, it reminds me of like a lot of things that happen in like third world countries, you know what I mean, where you know, kids a lot of times they either drop out or don't go to college or whatever because they got to go and find job, you know, go find work, you know, because to take care of the family or at least help to provide for the family and stuff like that because the the parents or whoever, you know, whoever the adults are in the household isn't really bringing in enough to you know, to support everyone and um but I think this guy got in with the wrong crowd because you just you're just getting beat up and getting involved with, you know, these other things like the drive-by shooting and all this other stuff. Why are people targeting you? And you only really get targeted if you're involved in something. Like I don't know, maybe cartel or, you know, maybe you involved with, you know, drugs or whatever the case may be, something like that. Um cuz people are not just going to pick on you randomly. I I I don't think so, you know, I feel like most crimes that happen as far as like uh fights and stuff like that or, you know, robberies or um uh people getting shot, stuff like that. A lot of the times it's done by somebody that's close to them or that that knows them in some way, shape, form, or fashion. But anyway, let's continue. >> On the morning of May 17th, Jesus was picked up by some friends to go to McDonald's and then a gas station, Flying J. It was 1:00 a.m. by that time. His friends stayed in the car while he went inside the store to pick up some snacks, but he never came back out. The friends waited for half an hour and even went inside the store to look for him, but there was no sign of him, not even on CCTV, which captured him leaving the gas station through a side exit, but did not show where he went from there. It was like [music] he just vanished and there was no clue as to where he'd gone. Their only hint was a girl Jesus had been talking to on social media, 18-year-old Madiana Gomez. He never met her in person, but he wanted to. But he'd confessed to his friends that he felt like there was something wrong. His friend told him he shouldn't meet her if he had a weird feeling about her and thought that was the end of it, but maybe not. On May 25th, 8 days since the discovery of his body, Jesus' family run a car wash to raise money for his funeral. A young woman shows up driving a white [clears throat] Jeep. She says she picked up Jesus in the early hours of May 18th from the Flying J gas >> Hey, good point. Georgia, yeah. His mother died in Mexico. Was he Mexican? Most likely. Most likely. >> raise money for his funeral. A young woman shows up and thought that was the end of it, but maybe not. On May 25th, 8 days since the discovery of his body, Jesus' family run a car wash to raise money for his funeral. A young woman shows up driving a white [clears throat] Jeep. She says she picked up Jesus in the early hours of May 18th from the Flying J gas station before getting into an argument with him. She says she dropped him off at the trailer park at Tierra West, 12 miles east, and never saw him again. But she's nervous, and her name, the family learns, is Mariana Gomez Selinas. She gives the family her phone number, which they pass on to the police. Detectives get in contact with her to interview her as a witness, and she repeats the same story, adding that after she dropped him off, Jesus unfriended her on Facebook and never spoke to her again. Their argument was because she didn't want to go into the sand dunes on the mesa near where he was later found dead. The detectives think that's all she has to tell them. She's merely the last person who saw Jesus alive. But then, they find something that turns this theory on its head. They conduct a grid search of the area around the gas station, which is where Jesus' cell phone last pinged on GPS, and they find it thrown in a dirt culvert. It has a bullet hole in it. Mariana says she drove him over to Tierra West without incident. Either she's lying, or their argument was more violent than she's making out. So, a few days later, the detectives re-interview her, and she comes out with a revelation they can't quite believe. She knows who killed Jesus after all, and she was there. But she says it wasn't her fault. Mariana's terrified. She names 17-year-old Dominique Marquez and 18-year-old Daniel Medrano as Jesus' killers, two other teens who forced her to bring Jesus out into the desert. She says they killed him in revenge for a recent fight they'd had. And her statement seems like the thing the detectives need to break this case wide open. Little do they know there's more to this story. On June 2 >> See, if this is true, he gets shot, what are the chances it's because of it's someone you know. Oh, we just had a recent fight but from somebody that you know. See? >> 27th, they turn up at New Mexico Tires, where both Dominique and Daniel work. >> So we were here for uh Dominique and Daniel. >> Yeah. >> Uh they have some warrants for their arrest, that's why we're here. >> Okay. >> The cops bring them into the station for interviews. >> Hello, Dominique. Dominique, right? All right, Dominique, my name's Cameron. I'm a detective with the sheriff's office, okay? >> Okay. >> All right, man. Like I said, my name's Cameron. I'm with the sheriff's office. Um so I'm sure you have lots of questions about what's going on. Um so I get that. Um you're 18, right? >> Yeah. >> Since Dominique's a minor, the detectives have to wait for his parents to arrive to talk to him. And when they do, they request a lawyer. >> So I mean, I don't actually know about the case, okay? I I just want to make sure that you're aware of your charges. So the warrant is for first-degree murder, which is a first-degree and capital offense. That's life in prison. Okay? Uh you have conspiracy or I'll just go down the list. So you have first-degree murder, you have kidnapping, robbery, conspiracy, and uh tampering with evidence. So those are your Those are your charges. >> For the person that that passed away? >> Yes. So you have some very serious very serious charges. >> They leave him to stew on that with his lawyer and his mom, but Daniel's a legal adult. He's free to be interviewed without his parents present, and what he says is going to make Dominique's silence fruitless. >> So, um I wanted to talk to you today a little >> He going to spill the beans? >> I don't know and I'm I'm sure you're like any person, dates probably are a little more muddy for you. But, I want to talk to you about um April 1st. April Fool's Day. >> That's when my car got shot up. >> Yes. >> Daniel says he'd sold Jesus, whom he knows as Weto, some speakers for his truck. >> And then, a couple days later, his truck is stolen. >> Okay. >> And he comes and blames it on me. >> Do you know why he would blame you for that? Okay. >> They met up to resolve the dispute by Daniel's work. Then, things went south. >> So, what day? And he was like, "That's what it's done." And then, damn, he met my friend, like my brother. Where's the back up? And then, you know, all of a sudden, he just came. All kinds of things he told on my friend. The whole vehicle moved and he shot through the head. >> And who's your friend? >> The other one. Dominique and the other one. >> Jesus apparently shot up Daniel's car, a white Chrysler, while Daniel and Dominique were sitting in it. >> Well, where did it hit on your car? >> Headlight, windshield, my dash, my back door, >> Oh, wow. >> back window. >> This was the drive-by shooting mentioned by his family, and there's a police report to reflect this, dated April 1st. Jesus is listed as the primary suspect. Now, when the cops search the Chrysler, they find a shell casing and two bullets. >> You got to ever since then, I mean, we haven't talked, nothing. >> Uh so, now I want to kind of just jump forward a little bit to to about May. >> Um >> Okay. May 17th, to be exact, okay? Um I want to to um a little bit about you're and Dominick's like relationship. Like are you I think you said brother, is that how you guys like refer to each other? >> We're close. >> So you're not like blood brothers. You're just like good friends. So how long did you meet him? Like how long have you guys known each other? >> For a while. >> And what's a while? Cuz a while can mean different to a lot of people. >> Like 3 4 years. >> Okay. And so are you guys like friends that hang out all the time? You guys just see each other? >> Well we we're with each other at work. And we just hang out on the weekends. >> Okay. So you guys hang out and and stuff like that. >> Yeah, I go over to his house. >> Okay. So I want to talk to you about you and Dominick and Mariana. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Do you know a Mariana? >> Yeah. >> And what Mariana do you >> I don't know what. >> Uh what Marianas do you know? >> My girlfriend Mariana and then another one named >> Oh that's right. You have a Mariana I can't remember your girlfriend's last name. What's her last name? >> Rodríguez. >> Rodríguez, okay. What the other one? >> Rodríguez. I don't know the last name. >> What's her last name? >> Bonaguidi. >> Oh that's Dominick's ex? >> Yeah. >> Okay. And do you know when they broke up? >> It's been a while. >> Has it? And do you know And again a while like what what is that? >> Months. >> Months, okay. Do you know why they broke up? >> I don't know. >> No? >> No. >> So far the story checks out. But there's more >> Come on. How you don't know that's this is your so-called brother. Y'all so close. Y'all friends. Y'all tight. But you don't know why him and this girl broke up. Lying. And this guy doing all the yapping. See the other guy he got mom dukes with him or whatever. Mom like, nah. We need a lawyer. And that's that's the end of the conversation. This guy over here Ooh wee. He going to make the other guy case real difficult. >> More to come. >> Like, what do you think of Mariana? >> I don't really know her that much. >> Oh, really? >> Uh you know, we were with her and when I would go to her house, she would be there. And I would come out and bother you, you know. I would just leave. I didn't want to be like that third wheel. >> For sure. >> I only seen her at the house once. Once she left, I left too. >> Okay. >> Other than that, we didn't really hang out. >> Okay. And so, since you don't um So, since I you didn't like text her or anything, like did you have her phone number or anything? >> No, I don't have her number. >> Okay. And so, you did you have her on any like socials or Instagrams or >> have her on Facebook. >> On Facebook? Did you talk to her on Facebook at all at any time? >> No, no, I wouldn't text her. >> The detective takes Daniel to the night of May 17th. He says he hung out with his girlfriend and Dominique that night because Dominique had just graduated. >> Yeah, and then I stayed night and then in the morning I get dressed and and we all go to graduation. She comes to pick me up. >> Okay. So, here's the thing, okay? Um and I really need you to think about this. Okay? Daniel, I don't think you're a bad kid, okay? I got nothing against you. I don't know you. I've never met you before in my life. Okay? But right now is your chance to be honest about what happened. Okay? I know you didn't do that cuz I've looked at your phone records. >> Yeah. >> Okay? I have your GPS. So, I know you're not telling the truth. >> Mhm. >> Okay? So, I need to you to tell me what you did that night. Okay? Your involvement with Dominique, Mariana Gomez, and yourself and Dominique. Cuz you know what I'm talking about. You're not dumb. I can look in your eyes. You're not dumb. Okay? I'm not dumb. So, I need to know what you did. What was your involvement in that? >> Lawyer. Lawyer. Lawyer. >> As an adult, Daniel's facing full adult charges and full adult consequences, including a possible life sentence, and this scares him into talking. >> So, I need to know, where did you meet Dominique to meet up with Mariana? Cuz guess what? I'll tell you. >> McDonald's. >> Okay. And which McDonald's? >> Uh I don't know what road. I don't know that road. >> Okay. So, why why were they meeting up? You have to be honest. The only way you're going to get out of this at some point is if you're honest. >> Mhm. So, [snorts] I don't They were going to unalive her. >> They were going to what? >> Unalive her. >> What does unalive mean? >> Kill her. >> Okay. And you were cool with that? >> No. >> But you're there, man. Yeah, I mean, you were in the back. Like, did you tell anyone? Like, you shouldn't do that? >> Like, I don't know anything about it. You know? >> So, why was Dominique wanting to unalive her? >> I don't know. >> He did though. I guess >> Revenge for me. >> Okay. So, you're sitting in the parking lot. It's dark out. You're talk- you're having Mariana text not like when I say you you three have Mariana's texting Gualdo. Okay. What is the plan? >> Just for her to go meet up with him. >> For her to go meet up? >> Mhm. >> Okay. And why were you having Mariana do that? >> Uh just I don't know. >> You do know. >> I don't remember. >> She's a pretty girl. >> Yeah. Cuz like when I when I when I started learning about it, I was like, oh. >> He's the texter. >> It's like what are you talking about? >> Mhm. >> What are you just like >> Okay. Because she's pretty, right? Would that be fair to say? >> Mariana was being used as a kind of honey trap to lure Jesus in, and it worked. They picked him up near the gas station at just after 1:00 a.m. Daniel, Dominique, and Mariana. >> Tell me about the gun you were holding. >> Uh it's just an AR-15. >> Okay. So, you were holding the AR-15? >> Yeah. Okay. And who was holding the Tesla? >> [music] >> Dominic. >> Dominic? Okay. Is that your [snorts] AR? >> No. >> Whose AR? >> Uh It was somebody else. Someone else. >> So, it's your AR? >> No, I didn't buy it. I didn't buy it, but >> Who bought it? >> It was like Cuz I didn't >> You bought it? >> I didn't buy it. >> Okay. Whose AR? >> Uh It was my dad's. >> Your dad's? >> Yeah. >> So, you borrowed the AR from your dad? Did he go with you? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, tell me about that. So, I know that you Well, that would be one, two, three. So, that would be four. So, that would be five. Then, I don't know. Five people in the truck. >> Mhm. >> Who grabbed Lado's phone? >> I I didn't grab it. >> You didn't grab it? Who shot it? >> Dominic. >> Okay. Did you shoot it? >> No. >> Did you shoot up there at all? >> No. >> No? You sure? >> I I don't remember. Maybe on accident when we were going out there. I don't remember. >> Ah, cap. You lying. You don't remember? What do you mean? You remember if you shot out there, man. See, this is why I be hating. Sometimes, if you going to start singing, you might as well sing. Lawyer up and zip it. That's the route you should go, but if you not going to go that route and not be like your buddy over there, he said, "I'm lawyering up, man. I got nothing to say." If you going to go that route, just sing. You already there. Y'all all going down for the M. Y'all all going down for the M. Y'all was all there. Nobody didn't try to stop it, nothing, whether you shot or not. It's over, man. >> Okay, what do you mean an accident? >> I I like slipped My finger slipped or something, but I don't remember. >> Finger slipped? >> important. Yeah. So did you shoot up there? >> Yeah. >> Okay, so tell me about that. How what happened? >> Uh he just said it was a fake and he shot it but >> Okay, and so he said it was fake, what did you do? >> I just shot it. >> Okay, where did you shoot it towards? >> Towards the dirt. >> Just the dirt? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Jesus didn't believe the gun was real and didn't understand how serious the situation was. So Daniel made an effort to show him. >> Okay, and why did you go pick up your dad? >> Because he's the one that knows how to do it. >> Okay, so your dad wanted to do it? >> Yeah. >> Why? >> Cuz >> Did you ask him to? >> No, I never told him that you did that. >> So then how did he know >> that what >> that you were out there that night? Like why would you call him if you didn't want to do anything like this? >> You could I I know I would have I know I would >> You were okay with someone else doing it? So you So when you picked your dad, tell me where everyone sit seated in the car. >> I'm in the back. I'm in the back. I'm in the back. We're all in the back. He's in the back. Money in the back. Everybody in >> Money in the trunk? >> Hold on, let me get this straight. Let me get this straight. This is all kid mess, right? This is all all of them friend group bickering with each other, whatever whatever happened, disagreement. So you got a problem with your friend or whatever or ex-friend, whatever you want to call it. Now you guys are beefing. You bring your dad into it? Cuz how does your dad know that you y'all beefing or whatever? You brought your dad into the situation. And then what could what type of parent goes along with this? Unless they tricked him too, I don't No way. No way. The dad is involved in this as well? Now that explains it. The apple don't fall far from the tree. That's a saying for a reason. Nothing but a bunch of thugs, man. Thugs rais- raising thugs. That's how it is. >> in the Dodge Durango that she got. >> Okay. So, tell me what happened in the car. Well, what When you pick him up, where do you guys go from there? >> Up there. >> Okay. And why did you go up there? >> Uh cuz that's where I wanted to go. >> Okay. And so, this is truly your dad? >> Yeah. >> This is really your dad? >> Yeah. >> Daniels is assigning all the blame to his father. >> Cuz I know you guys kind of roughed him up a little bit. >> No, no, no like that. >> Okay. >> It's cuz Welo took the gun. >> What do you mean? >> So, >> I mean, yeah. >> Uh I remember uh Welo getting the gun and my dad fighting. >> Okay. And so, you say the gun, what gun do you have? >> The AR. >> Okay. How did he get the gun? >> Because he took it from my dad. >> Well, you were there, so I mean, you had to have seen it. >> He took it from my dad. >> And how? >> I don't know. I I just I just told him Welo had it in his hand. And Welo was talking and I looked around and realized the gun >> Okay. Then what happened? >> That's when my Welo and my dad started fighting. And Welo gets the gun. >> Oh, and your dad got the gun? >> He didn't. >> Then what happened? >> Then Welo takes it again. Then Welo takes it again, so he takes it back and then And then my dad shot him. They started fighting. And then when somebody was talking, that's when my dad shot him. >> Okay. Who Who shot him? >> My dad. >> Okay. And what did you guys >> Come on. So, nobody else did anything. The dad did everything. And Price, you are 100% right, man. He says his low IQ >> [laughter] >> will have him vomiting the truth. Dominic can stay silent all he wants. This kid is in the palm of the police hands 100% man. >> It's not about what like what after that happened. Talk about the situation. >> After you just saw someone get murdered? >> Well, I didn't see what happened. >> Well, you know what happened. >> Yeah, what if >> You know like you're literally out there where he got murdered, bro. >> Yeah, I didn't hear the shotgun. >> Okay, but you just When you hear a gunshot and then I'm I'm sure you saw him. >> No. >> You never saw him. >> No. >> How'd you not see him, Daniel? >> I wasn't looking that way. >> His story stretches belief. >> Well, you can believe me, you can't believe me. What >> Well, no, I'm just trying to understand where you're at. >> It's like cuz like when I hear a gunshot, right? The natural reaction is to look where the gunshot came from. That's just a normal physiological response. Like when you hear a gunshot, like you look. >> Yeah. >> So, you didn't see him? >> That's like your your thing, you know? You hear a gunshot, you're probably going to look, you know? >> Yeah, sure. >> But me like >> So, you didn't look at all? >> No. >> Okay. >> According to Daniel, they all just got back in the truck and drove off, leaving Jesus' body out there to be picked at by flies and carrion. And as for his dad, who he claims to be at the center of this horrific killing, Daniel says he doesn't know where he lives. The detectives have got all they can from Daniel. Now it's Mariana they need to speak to. The only person who might be able to shed some light on this mysterious fourth conspirator, Daniel's father. A little after 1:00 p.m. that same day, the cops come to find her at her workplace. >> Mariana. Put your purse down real quick. Go and drop your bag as well. >> Yeah, um >> Go and turn around. >> Can you Are you guys going to grab this? >> we'll we'll take care of everything. Don't turn around. Thank you. Can you please cooperate with us? >> OKAY, COME ON. THESE ARE GOING TO BE REALLY LOOSE ON YOU, OKAY? SO, DON'T DO anything crazy and slip them, all right? >> Can you call my mom or something? >> Since you've been cooperative with us and everything else, I'll I'll call them and if your mom's able to come get it, then she can. Does she have a ride to get here? >> She should, but my stuff, too? >> Yeah. Oh, yeah, your your bag and everything? All right. Stand by on that, okay? >> Can someone help me out, please? I'm stuck here. Please. >> In the car, she continues to complain. >> Wait, why did you guys have to take a picture? >> Take a picture of you? Just now? >> Yeah. Whatever you guys are going to >> We just keep track of everybody that we keep track of everybody that we arrest in our little unit, okay? >> Because that's the difference. [music] Unlike her first two interviews, this time she's under arrest. Because according to Daniel, her involvement in Jesus' death was more than that of a bystander. >> You got anything in your pockets you can stand from? You don't have pockets do you? They got everything? >> Yeah. >> Twitches with her in her waist. Cool. I'm going to get you out of these cuffs in just a second and then uh >> Hello, Mariana. >> See, typically in situations like this, I don't know if you guys heard of the Julio Foolio case, but there was a case um where pretty much uh four Well, it's really five of them, but um they went and Julio Foolio was a rapper or whatever, and he was dissing a bunch of bunch of people, whatever, and some people ended up killing them, right? Set up a plan and killed them. Now, the the the guys that were in the case, they got sentenced to life or whatever, right? They they got the max, right? But the girl, she's a part of it, too. She's just as a part of it as everybody else, right? Um but the cops ended up getting her to flip on the other guys. And then she ended up getting 15 years. While the other guys got life. When she's really a part of it as well, but she was just the one that was kind of like luring the guy in, you know, tracking them and all of that type of stuff, whatever. But the girl the cops got the girl to flip on everybody else and testify. And she got 15 years. And the other guys got life. So in this type of situation, a lot of times they try to get the girl to flip. You know, especially someone like her that's just doing the texting and all that type of stuff. They try to get her to flip. But you got the other guy already that's already singing like a canary. So it's like Hey, they I I I think they all going to go down. They all going to go down because they don't even need one to really flip. All they really trying to get out of her is just to figure out if maybe if the dad was really a part of it or not. But if not it is what it is. >> Not really. >> The detective explains he's going to show her a lineup of photos. They're trying to identify Daniel's dad. >> So it'll just be a pictures? >> Yes. And don't feel like you have to choose. If you see the person, great. If you remember that person, great. If you don't, it's not a big deal. Don't feel like you have to choose someone. It's just other people. In this case, they talked as well. So you know, we're just trying to find out who this other person is. Okay? >> And you guys got a phone number again Daniel Ray? >> Yes. >> They leave her alone with the photos for a while. Meanwhile, they're searching her belongings including her phone history. She's deleted over 1,500 messages. Then the detective comes back. >> So, obviously they told you they tell you what's going on? And why they brought you down here? >> Okay. All right, so you are under arrest. Okay? You have a warrant for first-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery, conspiracy, and tampering with evidence. Okay? >> Wait, can you not explain all that to me? >> Sure. Um so, first-degree murder >> I'll explain it. Your ass never getting out. It's over. >> Um because it was planned out. You guys talked about it, blah blah blah. I know you didn't pull the trigger, but you were an active participant. I talked to everybody else. They told me their story. It pretty much matches up with what you told me, minus a few things, which I'd like to just talk with you about. You know, you guys were talking about taking money, [music] laughing about it, splitting it three ways. >> But, I never agreed on that, too. >> I know. I I but you guys talked about it. It was you know, it is what it is at this point. Okay? So, I want to talk to you, okay, about the guy that got in your car. Who was that? >> Who was >> Who was the guy? >> Um Daniel's uncle. That's what they told me. >> That's what they told you? And can you remember what he looked like? >> You could tell he was like Mexican. Um I think he had like a a mustache. Um he looks like older, like probably 40s, 50s. >> Okay. >> He has like a bit of gray hair. Uh probably like small eyes. >> Daniel's uncle or Daniel's father. Something's not adding up. And Mariana did not pick him out of the photo lineup. She doesn't have any more answers to give. >> You know, I just you're so young, and all you guys are, and to do something like this is just insane. If for some whatever reason you you find yourself able to not go to prison forever, I hope you learn from this that the only thing that you told me was the reason you did it is cuz they wouldn't talk to you. Like a guy's attention worth this? It's unfortunate. It's a tragedy all the way around. You guys are so young and you guys are facing some of the most serious crimes that you're charged with. And for some reason that I have to do >> [music] >> it. Sorry about that. So. >> And we all got charged with accessory. >> Mariana doesn't respond well. >> And there's anything that they're doing in jail, like I know like I have a lot of anxiety. So, I don't know what I'm going to do in there. >> So, I mean they have, you know, they have medical. I mean, they have doctors and nurses. So, I'm sure you can make a request. I mean, it's not fun. It's not not a fun place. I gave you as much time as I could. And I didn't I didn't I told you I didn't arrest you that night. Could didn't. Anything else for me? >> [snorts] >> Okay. Um good luck. I I you know >> Man. You know who waiting on her. You know who waiting her on her in the county, man. Never been in trouble. Young. You know, precious little thing, man. Looks like she'll she won't hurt her to fly. Shh. You got some hardened criminals in there, man. Some big 250 300 lb women. Yeah, they never getting out. Big Bertha. Yeah. Ready waiting on you to get in there, man. What? She think she got anxiety now? wait until that Wait until the guards strip her down. She got to bend over, cough. You know what I'm saying? Naked in front of another Oh, yeah. She got to put on the jail clothes. Then she got to go in there with a bunky, man. And her bunky is probably looking at life as well, man. Probably some woman that's 300 probably 275. She don't like to bathe. You know what I'm saying? That's your bunky, man. And you You a small little thing. What she going to do? What she going to tell her, man? You better get in the shower. What? Big Bertha get you together. What? Yeah. Man. And then they going to be looking at what do you got something to offer? See, because we look at somebody like this Remember What's that chick? Uh the chick that killed um She got the Netflix show. The chick that uh drew the drove the car into the freaking wall of the school building and killed and killed their boyfriend and the other person. See, she's somebody I forget her name. Oh, McKenzie. McKenzie something. But, yeah, McKenzie. See, she's a little different. You know why? She's not getting She because she's somebody that got money. Her parents pay for everything. So, she's in there She's not living like a like a like a low-level inmate. You know what I'm saying? Low-level inmate that don't got no money, that don't got nothing or whatever. Yeah. You You You have nothing You're not useful. You know what I'm saying? So, they just going to make you their [ __ ] But, somebody that got some money, okay, you get a little bit of status. You got a little bit of a rank. You know what I'm saying? Oh, you killed your boyfriend? Oh, that's crazy, girl. And she got money, so she could pay for this, pay for that. She could maneuver around. You see? So, that's why Mackenzie isn't struggling in jail. Or Well, she's in prison now. But, Mackenzie not struggling like that. Where if you get a girl like this that's, you know, I don't know if she got money, you know, she better hope she do, man, cuz boy, your life is going about to be flipped upside down, boy. And she don't even realize it yet, for real. She think she got anxiety now. Wait until they walk her to that cell and she got to meet her bunkmate and they shut that door. Boom. Ain't nobody coming to save you. MEDICAL MY ASS, BOY. >> WE'RE going to be seeing you again and then just, you know, in the court hearing and stuff. But, hopefully hopefully things will work out for you. >> Mariana's tearful and apparently remorseful now, but her attitude and her text messages with Dominique on the day of the murder is very different. At 4:18 p.m., she told him, "We'll do it today. He wants to do something today, but I had told him Sunday, so want to do it tonight." The he she's referring to is Jesus and it is his murder. At 4:41, she says, "And what if the plan doesn't work out?" Dominique replies, "It will. If it don't go as planned, then you went on a date and all you have to do is make sure he don't have a gun." They were egging each other on. Mariana setting the date and time and Dominique reassuring her it would all go to plan. At 4:00 a.m. the following morning, she texts him again wanting to talk about the murder. Dominique tells her to keep her cool and stick to their story if the police come. An hour later, she texts Jesus' number saying, "Hey, ya estoy en casa. Hey, I'm home." Throughout the day, she keeps texting him and messages his Facebook account asking if he's blocked her. She knows all the while that he's dead and she took part in his murder. She was trying to cover her tracks by laying a false trail. She premeditated Jesus' killing and she tried to hide it afterwards, all of which implies some level of guilt. Mariana didn't pull the trigger. That was supposedly Daniel's father, who remains at large. Daniel and Dominique each plead guilty to counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. At the sentencing hearing, the state is keen to emphasize that the attack was coldly pre-planned. >> Dominique and Mariana, they're leaving us. Let me know what he says so I can be informed since you, Mariana, are the one that's communicating with Jesus. Keep flirting with him. Keep him on the hook. We don't want him to lose interest. >> They're each sentenced to over 20 years in prison. Mariana, meanwhile, takes her case to court and she's acquitted of the murder charge with her attorney maintaining that the killing was the boys' idea and she was forced to go along with it, but >> Oh my god. This is what I'M TALKING ABOUT, MAN. WHAT? WHAT'S UP WITH THE WOMEN getting off the hook? If this is a whole group of guy they all they If you do the crime together, you all get the same you get charged the same. You get charged the same, man. Hold on. I got to run this back. Nah, hold up, man. >> level of guilt. But Mariana didn't pull the trigger. That was supposedly Daniel's father, who remains at large. Daniel and Dominique each plead guilty to counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. At the sentencing hearing, the state is keen to emphasize that >> Okay, I get it. I get it. I get it. I just want to hear the beginning of them. They plead guilty. They took a plea. She took it to trial. Mhm. [clears throat] Wow. They took the plea. She took it to trial. So, these guys are probably They probably took the plea so that way they would get, you know, they wouldn't get life, you know, probably cuz of their ages or whatever. But, the girl, she took it to trial. And they found her not guilty of the M Oh, but you gambling, though. That's a gamble. That's a gamble, man. That's a gamble. That's a gamble. You You What? The boys plead guilty. She took it to trial, beat the murder, and let's see what else happens, man. >> The attack was coldly pre-planned. >> Dominique and Mariana, they're meeting up. Let me know what he says so I can be informed since you, Mariana, are the one that's communicating with Jesus. Keep flirting with him. Keep him on the hook. We don't want him to lose interest. >> They're each sentenced to over 20 years in prison. Mariana, meanwhile, takes her case to court, and she's acquitted of the murder charge with her attorney maintaining that the killing was the boys' idea, and she was forced to go along with it. But, she is convicted of kidnapping and tampering with evidence. >> And I'm talking about the woman >> convicted for her role in the death of a 16-year-old boy will be spending nearly two decades behind bars. >> She's sentenced to 19 and a half years in prison, [music] only a few years >> For kidnapping? Nah, what? >> that the killing was the boy's idea and she was forced to go along with it, but she is convicted of kidnapping and tampering with evidence. >> An Albuquerque woman convicted for her role in the death of a 16-year-old boy will be spending nearly two decades behind bars. >> She's [music] sentenced to 19 and a half years in prison, only a few years short of her co-conspirator sentences. This reflects the severity of what she did. She didn't pull the trigger, but the judge certainly believes she has to pay for her role in Jesus' death. At her hearing, the prosecutor reads out a victim impact statement from Jesus' family. >> Jesus was a bright and kind and loving young man with his whole future ahead of him. He was more than a grandson. He was the reflection of his mother, my daughter, who died three years before. When I was just beginning to recover from the loss of my daughter, another tragedy arrived in the loss of my grandson, Jesus. >> Jesus was alleged to have shot up Daniel's Chrysler, but no one was hurt and they should have waited for justice to take its course, but they wanted to take matters into their own hands and score a profit in the bargain. They used Mariana to lure him out to the desert and then they shot him in cold blood. What do you think about this chilling story? Was Mariana more in control than she claimed and >> Wow. Wow. Wow. I got some mixed emotions. I'm not going to lie. I got to I'm not going to lie. I got mixed emotions, man. On on one end justice was served in my eyes. You know, she does deserve the time that she got. But on the flip side and I got to play devil's advocate. Damn near 20 years for kidnapping for your first offense is insane. I'm not going to She was not convicted of the murder. That's off the table. But they still held it over her head. You know what I'm saying? They They still held it over their over her head. 19 and 1/2 for kidnapping? Is wild. I'm not going to lie. That is That is That's wild, you know? And I know kidnapping is a crazy, you know? That's crazy, you know what I'm saying? But you know, justice was served. She do deserve the time, you know, 100%. But taking it to trial, beating the murder and only getting convicted of the kid- kidnapping and tampering with evidence is nothing. Nine They threw the Yo, somebody said they threw the book at LL said they threw the book at her anyway. They got her together, boy. Oh my goodness, she is sick. She beat the murder. She beat the M. Like, what? Lawyers went in there. She beat the M. She said, "Man, y'all taking that plea. I'm taking it to trial." And she still got damn near the same sentence as the other guys. Not too far off. For taking it to trial. Damn. Damn, they got her together, boy. Holy crap. 24 kidnapping for your first time? That's wild. That's wild. See, so that's why I say I definitely got mixed emotions, you know what I'm saying? I do believe she deserves every She deserves the same amount of time that everybody else got, you know what I'm saying? She deserves that. But, for those charges though. If you not They got charged with murder and got 20 and, you know, a little bit 20 and some change. And you beat the murder, which is the biggest charge that got the most time, and you just get right underneath them like Damn, I'm thinking she going to get maybe 10, you know, for I'm like kidnapping, probably 10. Tampering with evidence, that's going to run concurrent. Tampering with evidence is like 2 years, a year or two, you know? They You might get county jail for that, you know? That That might be a year, you know? So, I'm like, kidnapping, you young, first crime, okay. Yeah, 10 years, I think, you know. Damn. I know she was sick cuz I When they read that thing, first-degree murder, not guilty. I know she like, OH, WE LIT. >> [screaming] >> IT'S LIT. I KNOW SHE WAS LIKE, THANK YOU. AND then they read kidnapping, okay, guilty, guilty, you know? Boom, and then she go to sentencing. Yada yada yada, we sentence you to 19 and a half Wait, what? 19 for what? FOR KIDNAPPING? WHAT? NAH, that's crazy. But yeah. Anyway, she did get the get what she deserved, but you know, if they going to give her that time, she should have just got the murder, too. You know what I mean? Cuz that You know, it is what it is. They all But damn, she took a gamble, though. Cuz if you if she went to trial and blew trial on a murder, she's doing life. Like it's over. It's super over. That's a gamble. Cuz that jury could have easily been like no, you just had the you had the same role as everybody else. You had the same role as everybody else. Y'all all planned it. Y'all all But here's the one kicker, though. The father is still on the run. And he's the one that pulled the trigger. Now that's wild. That's wild. The father is still on the run, man. He said, "Fuck it. I'mma live my last days. It's over. So they going to have to catch me." Cuz he know he his life is over. You know? Damn. She should have taken a plea? Hell no. No, cuz the plea the the other two took a plea. They all got charged with the same crime. So if she would have taken a plea, she would have got what they got, which was 20 and some change. She took it to trial and you know, she'll get out a couple of years early, yeah, but not too much. And she don't have a murder on her record, neither. You know, she got kidnapping, which is bad, but a murder is That's that's that's crazy. Yeah, you know. Father probably went back to Mexico. Yeah, he got missing. He definitely got missing. He definitely got missing. Father got missing, boy. Damn. But anyway, that's the video for today. Uh hopefully you guys have a good weekend. Catch you guys on the flip side, man. You know. Um wait, hold on. Uh DK says uh Yeah, she would have gotten 19 and a half. She would She would have got more. They all was charged with the same thing. She would have got more than more than 19. She would have got the 20. Like every like the other two. Cuz the other two got 20 plus. And they all was charged with the same thing. So, she would have taken a plea, the same plea, you know, that everybody else was offered. That's probably why she took it to trial. She like, man, a plea? They offering me 20 for the plea? Like, I might as well take it to trial. And she did have, you know, her role is significant, but it's not significant like it's not it's you know, it's just a non-violent role, I should say, she had. She had a non-violent role. All she did was do the texting or whatever. But yeah, this case was just all messed up, man. But anyway, like I say, I hope hopefully y'all have a good weekend. I'mma catch you guys on the flip side, man. Peace. >> [music] [music] [music]