New testimony paints Lamar Roberts in different light; defense points to inconsistencies in story

New testimony presented Friday in the case against Lamar Roberts painted the 17-year-old as the one at fault for the death of 7-year-old Zoe Garcia instead of his girlfriend, Heather Trujillo, 16. Yet, defense attorneys countered that the picture is one that contains many inconsistencies with previous reports.

The testimony, offered by detective Kathy Halldorson of the Johnstown Police Department, was based largely from an interview with Trujillo on Jan. 14 in which the girl said she was finished covering for Roberts, her boyfriend, and was ready to tell the truth.

Halldorson testified Friday at a preliminary hearing in Roberts' case. He has been charged with child abuse resulting in the death of Zoe, whom the teenagers were supposed to be taking care of on Dec. 6, 2007. The two teens are being charged as adults for the death of the girl, who died from blunt force trauma to the head, according to John Carver, who conducted the autopsy.

Police arrested the teenagers on suspicion of beating the girl to death with moves they learned from the popular video game "Mortal Kombat." Trujillo -- the victim's sister -- will appear for trial July 7 in connection with the death.

According to Halldorson, Trujillo said Roberts had started punching and choking her.

"She states that during the incident, throughout the time that Lamar is doing things with Zoe," Halldorson said, "in between those times, Lamar is basically making her sit on the couch, punches her a few times, refuses to let her call her mother," about halfway through the incident.

Trujillo requested the Jan. 14 interview with Halldorson and another detective. It was about the 10th time she had spoken with law enforcement officials in the five weeks following the death of Zoe.

She said she was being Robert's scapegoat.

"The initial reason she had said what she said was that she loved Lamar, that she didn't want him to run and that in the past, with (Department of Social Services), she would cover for Lamar and she thought everything was going to be OK, and now that it wasn't, she wanted to tell us the truth," said Halldorson while responding to prosecutors on the stand.

The defense, however, said that the many inconsistencies that Trujillo's most recent account had with past interviews pointed to her poor credibility.

Stephanie Stout, the defense attorney, declined to comment as the case is still pending. Family members of Roberts also declined to be interviewed.

Judge Marcelo Kopcow said the prosecution offered enough evidence to move the case toward trial, however a date will not be determined until after a preliminary hearing is held on June 20 for another charge of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, a class 3 felony. The charge was presented in court Friday.

Tribune reporter David Young contributed to this report.

What's next

Lamar Roberts, 17, will be back in court for the charge of child abuse resulting in the serious bodily injury, a class 3 felony, in connection with a broken arm that the child may have sustained on the night of Dec. 6, 2007. The charge carries a mandatory sentence of 10-32 years in prison and a fine that can range from $3,000-$750,000. The hearing will take place at 11 a.m. on June 20 at the Weld County Courthouse in Greeley.