Teenager Shot By Drug Agents Dies - 14-Year-Old Taken Off Life-Support

[chance33_98]

Teenager Shot By Drug Agents Dies

14-Year-Old Taken Off Life-Support

Posted: 8:51 a.m. CST February 12, 2003

SAN ANTONIO -- A teenage girl who was shot by Drug Enforcement Administration agents died Tuesday night at Wilford Hall Medical Center.

Ashley Villarreal (pictured, left), 14, was taken off life-support equipment after she was declared brain dead from a gunshot wound she suffered to the back of her head late Sunday night.

DEA officials and San Antonio police officials said that agents fired four rounds at a car Villarreal was driving because the vehicle was speeding toward them and they suspected the girl's father, a suspected drug dealer, was in the vehicle trying to get away. Joey Angel Villarreal, who was the subject of surveillance that night, was not in the car with his daughter. He ended up turning himself in to authorities Monday.

"It was no mistake," said Daniel Robles, a family friend who was in the car with the teen. "It was no accident."

Robles said the agents were not wearing rain gear during the surveillance and claimed that they allegedly boxed in Villarreal's car and opened fire.

"These are professionals," Robles said. "There's nothing professional about this."

Law officers declined to respond to Robles' version or to discuss details of the case Tuesday, citing a pending investigation.

Robles, who was with family members when they said they last goodbyes to the teen, said he promised her that his version of the story will come out.

"Ashley's dead. They took her life. Nothing's gonna bring it back," Robles said.

[Poohbah]

Apparently there's some sort of video, but it doesn't appear to be available for viewing.

There is a NEWS station video that was shot AFTER the event. There doesn't seem to be any video taken concurrent to the event.

[weikel]

She hit the forward car, then went into reverse.

This is a new angle and yes all the LEOs are permitted to engage but even if this angle of the story is true she would not be going as fast moving into reverse as she was forward(if she had a tight fore and aft block she wouldn't have the room to accelerate to her previous forward speed in reverse) hence no panic since her speed would be low and hence they could just shot out her tires.

[MileHi]

Thanks for leaving this up. Sad story, decent debate so far.

[weikel]

Well, we still don't have many facts here, except that this 14-year-old girl was shot in the back of the head by DEA agents. The rest is conflicting. ... The DEA folks say it happened one way. Eye-witnesses say it happened another way.

Hence why I think the DEA agents are full of crap none of their stories are plausible. They won't ever see the inside of a cell though.

[ChuckHam]

Sorry it took me a few to get back to ya. In the video it appeared to me as though the cars in the front and back were within 10 to 15 feet of the alleged drug vehicle.

[ChuckHam]

You're correct. The video I saw was shot after the incident. I'm basing my statements on those reported by the news station and on my observation of the positions of the vehicles shown on the video tape.

[renosathug]

I don't know. It looks like the moderators don't want any debate about the war on drugs.

The words were not mine, just posted for info only, from an earlier thread on this topic that was pulled. I don't know if accounts would be nuked if one was against the War on Drugs. But I don't like the thought of any thread being pulled just because people disagree. Otherwise why have a forum at all?

[philman_36]

There is a NEWS station video that was shot AFTER the event. There doesn't seem to be any video taken concurrent to the event.
Then maybe you need to ask ChuckHam how he saw all of what he purportedly saw.

[Poohbah]

The DEA folks say it happened one way. Eye-witnesses say it happened another way.

The eyewitNESS (singular) is a thrice-convicted felon.

[Poohbah]

He said that he was making his assessment on what the video showed, and his own estimate of what happened. Neither ChuckHam nor I are responsible for your reading comprehension issues.

[ChuckHam]

Read my response in 186. I never stated I saw the shootout. I saw a news report of the incident on the 10:00 news where the reporter told us the details of the shoot (admittedly those of the agents). The only details I admit to seeing are the vehicles involved and their condition and locations. All other "facts" are those reported on the air the night of the incident.

[hoosierskypilot]

Ques: can a fourteen year old legally drive in this state?

[weikel]

No not in Texas. I believe Montana and possibly Wyoming and Alaska allow 14 year olds to have licenses.

[MineralMan]

"Ques: can a fourteen year old legally drive in this state?"

Already answered: No. The other question is whether driving illegally is subject to the death penalty.

[philman_36]

In the video it appeared to me as though the cars in the front and back were within 10 to 15 feet of the alleged drug vehicle.
Some people aren't good at judging distances. Maybe you can, maybe you cna't.
"Alleged drug vehicle"! You've got to be LE. Even your casual conversation carries the jargon.
Could the vehicles have been moved for rescue services by the time the video was taken?
Were there skid marks? Did you notice where the glass, dirt or other debris evidence was showing where the collision took place in respect to the positions of the various vehicles in the video?
SO many questions...

[MineralMan]

"The eyewitNESS (singular) is a thrice-convicted felon."

Actually, there has been more than one eye-witness. If you read all of the stories, you'll see that to be true. There's a few of them over at google.com news. Their stories conflict. As I said, I do not know what happened, as I was not present.

Do you think the truth will be revealed?

[MEGoody]

"it is if the car being driven is being used as a deadly weapon."

But that wasn't the question. The question asked was, what was a 14 year old doing driving a car.

[MineralMan]

"The question asked was, what was a 14 year old doing driving a car.
"

Nobody here can answer that question. I can't, and neither can you. She _was_ driving the car, but that, alone, is no reason to shoot her. I was driving a car at 14, but only on private property. I could have driven on the roads however. If I had, should I have been shot?

[MEGoody]

"In almost any situation I can imagine it is much safer and faster to jump out of the way of a speeding car than to shoot the driver."

Maybe, but I'm not a trained police officer trying to nab a drug dealer. I wouldn't have any idea what the best option is in that circumstance.

[MEGoody]

"I don't know. It looks like the moderators don't want any debate about the war on drugs."

The problem is, the debates get mighty nasty sometimes. Civil debate would not be an issue. But a 'flame war' is quite different.