West trial: Witness recalls late September 2020 night
Apr. 19—By ISHANI DESAI
A loud sound startled Maria del Carmen Noriega Salas as she cleaned her daughter's Casa Loma apartments very late at night nearly three years ago.
It sounded like someone threw something inside a metal dumpster, Salas testified in Kern County Superior Court Wednesday, while adding she saw Trezell and Jacqueline West, who are accused of murder, emerging from the trash cans on Sept. 19, 2020. This contention was heavily disputed by Jacqueline West's defense attorneys, who sowed doubt about Salas' recollection of this night.
Trezell and Jacqueline West have pleaded not guilty to two charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3, West. Jurors heard testimony from Salas in the ongoing murder trial of the Wests during the eleventh day of trial.
"I sensed danger and I felt fear," Salas said in Spanish. Her remarks were translated by a Spanish interpreter. She was referring to Sept. 19, 2020.
"But that night I sensed something wasn't right," Salas said.
Salas, who's lived at the Casa Loma Apartments for nearly 10 years and still lives there, was cleaning out her daughter's room at about 11 p.m. when a loud sound clanging against metal rang out, she testified.
Salas walked outside, she said, and saw Trezell and Jacqueline walking away slowly, carrying a blue chest with a white lid. They were laughing, she testified.
Defense attorney Fatima Rodriguez, who represents Jacqueline West, asked Salas if she remembers telling police officers when she was interviewed that she never saw the faces of the pair walking away from the dumpster because it was too dark. Salas testified Wednesday she did see the two people's faces and there was a light near the dumpster area.
"Lately, I've been remembering a lot of things," Salas said.
However, Salas testified she was only able to identify Trezell and Jacqueline as emerging from that dumpster after watching them in news reports and then called police to tell them what she saw.
Back in January 2021, you couldn't identify the couple to police, "but three years later, now you're saying that you're able to identify them, is that right?" Rodriguez asked her.
"I do recall that day very well," Salas said. "I cannot forget it."
The relevance of this evidence and what it may suggest remains unclear.
Jurors went to the Casa Loma Apartments for a jury view Wednesday afternoon. They will be in California City Thursday for another jury view.
The court isn't in session for this case Friday and Monday. Testimony is scheduled to resume Tuesday.
You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter.
