During the second day of his manslaughter trial, the courtroom heard the 911 call made by Tony Earls and his wife. Earls is accused in the death of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez. The call, played publicly for the first time, described the events after an armed robbery that ended with Arlene being shot while in her father’s truck, according to Click2Houston.
During the incident, Earls told the dispatcher, "A guy pulled up. He put the gun up to my wife's face. I had my gun in my waist. We played it cool, we gave him everything he needed, and when he got ready to leave, he started shooting. So I draw my gun and I shot back." The defense argues that Earls acted in self-defense, mistakenly believing the robber was shooting at him, while prosecutors, as reported by ABC13, maintain that Earls was the only one who fired and did so recklessly rather than in response to gunfire.
On Thursday, forensic experts testified and crime scene photos were shown, including a bullet hole from Earls' gun in the Alvarez family's truck, as mentioned by ABC13. The 35-year-old defendant appeared distressed at times. The jury is reviewing whether Earls’ 911 call mentioning two suspects was mistaken, false, or a result of trauma. The defense raised concerns about receiving a video used as evidence shortly before it was shown in court. The trial will continue on Friday with more testimonies, including from a digital forensics expert.
