PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Another juror has been dismissed in the trial against two men accused of killing Philadelphia Police Sgt. Richard Mendez at the airport two years ago.
After nearly a whole day of jury deliberations in the trial against 20-year-old Yobranny Martinez Fernandez and 23-year-old Hendrick Peña-Fernandez, Judge Giovanni Campbell cleared the courtroom on Friday at the Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Criminal Justice Center.
No explanation was initially given, but when the public was allowed back in, they found out another juror in the case had been dismissed. A separate juror was dismissed for medical reasons on Wednesday, the first day of deliberations. Deliberations will now continue on Monday.
The jury will decide whether the two are guilty of murder, attempted murder, robbery and other related charges in connection with the killing of Mendez at the Philadelphia International Airport on Oct. 12, 2023.
That night, Mendez and another officer, Raul Ortiz, responded to a car robbery in the airport parking lot and were met with gunfire. Mendez was shot four times and died. Ortiz was shot in the arm.
Another man, Jesús Madera-Durán, thought to be part of the same crew as Yobranny and Hendrick out to steal cars at the airport, was also shot and killed that night.
A fourth man, Alexander Batista-Polanco, was also part of that crew and has already pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in connection with Mendez’s killing. He testified as part of the case against Yobranny and Hendrick.
Their defense has argued there were no cameras inside the parking garage where the shooting happened, but the prosecution presented other evidence that placed them at the scene at the time of the shooting.
If convicted, they face the potential of life in prison.