"My main reason was to get my sour diesel sample back"

(Coleman)

Mariah Acosta was the next People's witness in the Demetrius Coleman case. She knew Coleman through his girlfriend Alma Ahumadamendoza. She is no longer friends with Ahumadamendoza.

Her testimony has been covered in the preliminary hearing posts. I am only going to post parts relevant to the charges and any new information. 

For example, the meeting took place in the Bayfront parking lot on August 29, 2019 but she has no idea what Coleman, Jovan Ignjatovic or Regina Osenbaugh talked about so that does not prove or disprove anything.

While she is providing details, we really don't need details that are irrelevant to the shooting of Johnny Renfro. We don't need to know they drove to the Patriot station, Adels, if Coleman asked whether anyone needs drinks. We are 20 minutes into her testimony and it is more about Coleman picking Acosta up from her mother's house, the play date than the homicide.

Acosta claimed she didn't really know Coleman but then around 11:21, she testified the main reason for the "playdate" on August 29, 2019 and that she had met Coleman and Ahumadamendoza two days before to give them a marijuana sample.

"My main reason was to get my sour diesel sample back," said Acosta. This was the reason she gave for getting together with Ahumadamendoza on August 29, 2019.

Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Schaffer asked her why. "Because I was not going to be responsible for $1,400." Acosta said "Demetrius and Alma told me they had buyers." Acosta said she was homeless, didn't have a car and was struggling. Acosta wanted to sell a box of the sour diesel.

Acosta is still on the stand. I will add the afternoon coverage to this post. Acosta has not been through cross examination, yet. After lunch, Acosta's direct testimony concluded with her describing a Face time call with Ahumadamendoza.

She did not call the police, gave no details of what she told her brother. She told Ms. Schaffer she did not call anyone when she was in the car with Ahumadamendoza on August 29, 2019. 

It is very obvious Acosta is enjoying being on the stand testifying, on You Tube. Very detailed,very dramatic. No one testifies for over an hour, then right before break, "cries on demand" after describing an incident she did not witness. 

We got five minutes of actual relevant testimony about Ahumadamendoza hunched, retrieving something from the hood of the gray Jeep and Acosta hearing three pops. Acosta lost visual of Ahumadamendoza so we have no idea what that something was that Ahumadamendoza discarded.

Acosta said  Ahumadamendoza called her on Face time on August 29, 2019 and Coleman was sitting on a bed. She claims Ahumadamendoza told her not to say anything and Coleman had his hands grasped in a gesture indicating thank you. Acosta said she took  Ahumadamendoza's statement not to say anything as a threat. Acosta said two weeks after August 29, 2019 when Ahumadamendoza tried to call her, she did not answer.

Acosta's testimony sounds more like the embellishment on local Facebook neighborhood groups of banal incidents people describe to get attention than what may have happened. 

As previously noted, witnesses have read news report, been on Facebook, discussed testimony. We will see what Acosta's response is about when she went to law enforcement. We have jurors falling asleep during testimony which is concerning.

Here we are days into the testimony and not one eye witness to the actual shooting and a lot of the People's witnesses have credibility and motive issues.

Previous post:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2020/10/jovan-ignjatovic-also-signs-immunity.html?m=1