Trial begins for Brownsville teen charged in deadly stabbing

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The murder trial for a teen accused of fatally stabbing a man began today.

Ernesto De Los Reyes is facing a charge of murder for fatally stabbing 20-year-old Rolando Reyna Jr., records show.

On day one of the trial, a responding officer testified.

The court played the 911 call from that fatal day where the caller is heard telling dispatch that "this guy's crazy, he has a shank." The caller stated the man, later identified as De Los Reyes, was hiding inside the apartment.

Ernesto De Los Reyes (Brownsville PD)

The jury could hear the victim struggling to breathe through the 911 call. People in the courtroom were audibly crying as the call continued to play.

The testifying officer said when he arrived at the scene, he could tell the victim was "not there anymore" — meaning Reyna was dead.

Background

At 5:24 a.m. Sept. 24, 2023, Brownsville police officers responded to the Bella Terra Apartments, located at the 3200 block of Galeno Crossing for a stabbing.

There they found a man, identified as Reyna, outside the apartment complex parking lot. Police said Reyna had been stabbed in the chest by an acquaintance, identified as De Los Reyes during a physical altercation.

Witnesses told police Reyna and De Los Reyes were being confrontational throughout the night, and things escalated in the parking lot. Additionally, witnesses said De Los Reyes was still inside the apartment complex with the knife with him, according to a news release.Great White Shark pinged near South Padre Island

Officers instructed him to come out, and he walked out with a knife in his right hand. He was initially arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but the charge was upgraded after Reyna died from his injuries at the hospital.

Steven Masso contributed to this report.