Almaraz murder trial enters seventh day

By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:49 AM PDT

Payette — A woman whose home apparently served as a gathering point after a deadly 2006 shooting in Fruitland testified in the murder trial of Hector Brito Almaraz in Payette County Tuesday.

Almaraz is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Gabriel Flores in the Club 7 bar in Fruitland in April 2006.

Tuesday Priscilla Mata, who went to the Club 7 bar to attend a birthday party the night of the deadly shooting, spoke of what she saw in the tavern.

She said she saw what appeared to be a “puff” coming from a dark object in Almaraz's hand that night.

“Could you tell if Mr. Almaraz was wearing gloves?” Payette County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Lee asked.

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Mata said the bar was too smoky, which made it hard to tell if Almaraz was wearing gloves. She then told the court about the situation in the tavern moments after the shooting.

“I went to the dance floor,” she said. “There was other people there too so we ducked down.”

She said she then met with her husband, Armando Landin-Cabanilla, and began to exit the bar’s front door.

However, she then said Landin-Cabanilla had a conversation with Thomas Loa, who accompanied Flores to the bar that night.

“They were angry,” she said.

Mata said she told them she could use CPR to attempt to save Flores’ life.

“I was told ‘you don’t know what that person has,’” she said. “We tried to go back in anyway but people were coming out.”

She then testified she went back to her home in Ontario. After she arrived, she said Almaraz entered the home and walked straight toward the kitchen.

She also said she witnessed Almaraz changing his clothes.

“He was wearing a black sweater, khaki pants and black gloves,” she said.

As for the clothes, Mata said she was asked if they could be washed. She then testified Almaraz left shortly after police arrived on the scene.

“The police asked him if he had been at Club 7 and he said ‘no, where is that?’  Then he took off,” she said.

She said the police arrested her husband after that initial meeting, then returned some time later.

“I went to answer the door, they pulled me out and said they needed everyone to get out,” she said. “They arrested me and took me to the police station.”

Mata said she originally was not forthcoming with the police.

“I just told them what I wanted them to know,” she said.

The prosecution then played a telephone conversation between Mata and Almaraz after her husband was taken into custody.

“It might have been right before they arrested him,” she said. “The day before.”

Lee asked if she meant Almaraz; Mata said “yes.”

 In the tape, Almaraz said he was waiting to see what would happen to Landin-Cabanilla. Mata then said a prosecuting attorney had plenty of evidence linking Landin-Cabanilla to the scene.

“They don’t even need me to say anything,” she said. “I thought you were going to step up?”

Almaraz said he would. Lee asked Mata what she believed Almaraz meant when he said the statement.

“That he was going to come forth,” she said. “Admit that he did it.”

Almaraz said he was not going to cause problems for her family.

“We’re going to need money for his lawyer,” she told Almaraz. “Whatever you can give.”

Almaraz replied he would get $300 to Mata to help with the costs. She said he said he would then admit to what he did.

“If they really want me,” he said. “I’ll go down there and cop to everything, say I did it.”

Mata said if Landin-Cabanilla continued with court proceedings it would be an issue for her. He would lose his job, and she would no longer be able to pay rent.

“I hope you do the right thing,” she said.

Lee asked for clarification on that statement.

“That he would take responsibility for his own actions and not blame someone else,” she said.

Defense attorney Van Bishop then asked about Mata’s interaction with police. She testified she looked at photos and video from the scene and helped to identify people in them. She said they spoke about her husband during the interview.

“They said, ‘you need to help him so he can help himself,’” she said.

Authorities, she said, then gave her blank witness statement forms, which she said she distributed to people she remembered that were at the scene of the crime. She testified she gave witnesses statements but did not tell them what they should write.

Mata resumed her testimony today.