ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Testimony continued Monday for a fourth day in the murder trial of a 35-year-old Deltona man who is accused of killing his wife and her two children.
Luis Toledo is accused of killing Yessenia Suarez, 28, and her children, Thalia Otto, 9, and Michael Otto, 8, who disappeared from their Deltona home in October 2013 and were never found.
Investigators said Toledo confessed to killing Suarez but denied killing her children. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the deaths of the children.
Tyshawn Jackson, who was 21 at the time, was Toledo's neighbor and friend. The two went to barber school together and would often carpool.
Day 4 of testimony beginning in Luis Toledo triple murder trial. #WFTV #LuisToledo pic.twitter.com/DxSlExz5vi
— Jeff Deal (@JDealWFTV) October 16, 2017
Jackson testified Monday about Oct. 23, 2013, the day of Suarez's disappearance. He said Toledo knocked on his bedroom window early in the morning, asking him to drop off Suarez's car at a Publix parking lot in Seminole County.
Jackson said he saw Toledo wiping down the car down and that they left in Toledo's car to drop off cleaning products and trunk lining from Suarez's car at an apartment complex dumpster.
Toledo admitted to killing his Suarez in self-defense, but he claimed Jackson killed the children. Jackson denied that Monday.
Jackson said that while they were driving home from dropping off the car, Toledo told Jackson he "snapped."
Toledo's brother, Chris Lasanta, testified Monday that Toledo visited his home early in the morning and said that Suarez was cheating on him.
Jackson broke down crying. Said he learned Toledo blamed him for deaths of children. He said he had nothing to do with deaths. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/aHfMYgHkpk
Jackson broke down crying. Said he learned Toledo blamed him for deaths of children. He said he had nothing to do with deaths. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/aHfMYgHkpk
— Jeff Deal (@JDealWFTV) October 16, 2017
On Friday, jurors heard from two neighbors, who are sisters. One woman, who was 13 years old in 2003, said she heard a woman yelling for help around midnight on Oct. 23 at Toledo's home.
The woman testified that she found a large knife while walking home from school the next day.
Prosecutors believe the knife belongs to Toledo and that he tossed it from his car while police officers were following him.
Cox Media Group
