Jury selection underway in Abby's Bakery trial

LOS FRESNOS, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Jury selection is underway in the case for the owners of Abby's Baker in Los Fresnos.

Leonardo Baez and Nora Alicia Avila-Guel own Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Cafe in Los Fresnos.

The couple of the brick and mortar was arrested earlier this year by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly harboring workers present in the U.S. and aiding and abetting the harboring.

They will go before Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. in federal court this week.

On Feb. 12, Baez and Avila-Guel were arrested after an anonymous tip made to the Homeland Security Investigations tip line advised that people were working at the bakery and that the owners were harboring workers. When ICE raided the bakery, Baez and Avila-Guel were charged with having eight people present in the country illegally at their business.

When agents conducted what the government calls a "worksite enforcement," they found eight people who were present in the country illegally. Additionally, they found a room in the same shopping center where the restaurant is located. The room was reportedly used to house the workers.

The raid on Abby’s Bakery was the first of many in the Rio Grande Valley that gained media attention and evoked strong emotions from the Los Fresnos community and those who surround it.

Since the arrests of Baez and Avila-Guel and the deportations of those involved in the case, many have followed.

As previously reported, a “notice of intent to offer extraneous offenses” concerning the case has been obtained by ValleyCentral. This document, which was reported on in July, may provide some insight into what can be expected to be discussed during the trial.

The document, filed June 23, states that the government may intend to use one or more of the following “extraneous offenses” in the trial to show motive and intent from Baez and Avila-Guel for harboring workers.

To read more about the notice of intent, see our previous coverage.

ValleyCentral will continue to follow the case against Baez and Avila-Guel as it is scheduled to go to trial this week.