HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Trial begins on Wednesday for a man accused in the shooting death of a 9-year-old girl that happened more than three years ago.
Investigators say Arelene Alvarez was killed while on her way to get pizza with her family on Valentine’s Day in 2022.
A jury was selected on Monday, and opening statements in the trial of Tony Earls, facing a manslaughter charge, began Wednesday morning.
On Feb. 14, 2022, Arlene was inside a pickup truck with her family, headed to dinner in the Gulfgate area, according to police.
Earls had reportedly just visited an ATM and said he was robbed. He says he fired a shot at a truck, which police say ended up killing Arlene.
Initially, a grand jury declined to file a charge, but in 2024, a murder charge was filed against Earls. That charge was dismissed, and the district attorney’s office filed a manslaughter charge instead.
READ MORE: Man indicted for murder in shooting of 9-year-old going to dinner with family on Valentine’s Day
Tony Earls Jr. has been indicted for murder in the Valentine’s Day 2022 shooting of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez in the Gulfgate area.
The 9-year-old’s family has been relentless in their demands for justice.
“Arlene will forever be frozen in time as a fourth grader. She will forever be 9,” Arlene’s aunt, April Aguirre, said in 2022.
Law enforcement says the person accused of robbing Earls has still not been arrested.
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