1976-10-10

Published September 22, 1977
Offense happened October 10, 1976

Indian sentenced in city murder

Judge H. Bryan Poff of 47th District Court yesterday sentenced Alfredo Mohawk, 19, a Kickapoo Indian
from Mexico, to 35 years in prison for murder in the beating death of a 26-year-old man on Oct. 10 of last year.

The sentence was handed down about 2:45 p.m. yesterday after Mohawk pleaded guilty to the slaying of Juana Garza, also known as Juan Rodriguez, whose body was found Oct. 11, 1976, in a drainage ditch be- hind a motel in the 6000 block of E. Amarillo Boulevard

The plea came after a jury found Mohawk competent to stand trial.

The year he stayed in Potter County jail in lieu of $100,000 bond will count toward his sentence.

An autopsy showed Garza had been beaten over the head with a blunt instrument. Police have said a
car jack handle appeared to have been used

Officers said Garza apparently was beaten in one of the motel rooms and then dragged to the ditch.

Police arrested Mohawi after learning a man had been seen cleaning up blood spots.

During the court proceedings and the plea yesterday, a court-appointed interpreter, James Wahpepah, a
Kickapoo from McCloud, Okla., assisted Mohawk and his attorney.