Best friend of shooting victim testifies against man accused in Tampa murder trial
TAMPA, Fla. - During the murder trial of Jaden Sauders-Rigueur, a Tampa jury heard gripping testimony from a teenage witness who saw his best friend shot to death right in front of him.
The teen witness took the stand and told the jury he was best friends with the victim, Alex Alicia. He said in October 2021, he and another friend drove Alicia to the Lakeshore Apartment Complex in Brandon, to sell drugs to the defendant.
He said the moment they drove up, Sauders-Rigueur walked over and snatch the drugs from Alicia. There was a tussle between the two, over the drugs.
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That’s when the witness said the defendant pulled out a gun and pistol-whipped Alicia. Then, Sauders-Rigueur fired the fatal shot, according to the witness.
"After I saw him get shot, I mean, I’m looking at the black individual making sure he’s not gonna shoot me next," he recalled.
He said at that moment, his friend was shot, he yelled at the gunman to leave.
"'You got it! You got it! You got it! You got everything, why are you still here bro,'" the teen recalled saying.
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He said after the shooter ran off, he looked over at his best friend.
"I see Alex in a puddle of his own blood. I can’t, I can't," the witness said.
He then went on to explain that he left and ran to the nearest gas station, saying he was terrified.
Later the second eyewitness testified during the trial Wednesday. That second witness drove Alicia to the drug deal that day. He also identified the defendant as the trigger man. "He shot him," he said timidly in court.
He explained he then drove off and called for help, but the defense argues prosecutors have the wrong man. They said there is no DNA evidence at the crime scene belonging to their client. There’s also no murder weapon.
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However, prosecutors say a cell phone found near the victim, was later linked through DNA to Sauders-Rigueur.
Prosecutors also promised the jury they would hear from a jailhouse snitch, who said Sauders-Rigueur, asked him to kill a key witness in the case. That testimony is expected soon.