Paniagua faces trial Monday for fatal car accident
He allegedly fled scene of Jan. 19 accident, which claimed the life of Needville ISD Police Chief Ernest Mendoza
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Jury selection begins Monday in the murder trial of the man arrested in connection to the traffic collision death of former Needville ISD Police Chief Ernest Mendoza.

Guillermo Paniagua Paniagua, 30, of Wharton is charged with one count of felony murder and one count of failure to stop and render aid, according to a superseding indictment filed with the district clerk's office on Sept. 18. He remains in Wharton County Jail, held on $600,000 bond.

In the failure count of the indictment, Paniagua is charged with not "rendering reasonable assistance to Mendoza when it was then apparent Mendoza was in need of medical treatment."

Mendoza died at the scene Jan. 19 with Wharton County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Dennis Korenek handling the inquest, according to law enforcement reports. The time of death was set at 10:15 p.m.

Officials with the Wharton County District Attorney's office said opening arguments are scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday with the trial being

held in the District Court Building courtroom across from the courthouse.

"Based on our witnesses and the trial order and what we anticipate the defense to present, we estimate the length of this trial to be the better part of two weeks," said Assistant District Attorney Gordon Dudley Jr., who will reportedly be the prosecuting attorney.

Presiding over the case will be visiting District Court Judge Daniel Sklar. Sklar is the former judge of the 329th District, which includes Wharton and Matagorda counties. Paniagua's attorney

of record, according to court documents, is El Campo Attorney Richard Manske.

Records indicate the prosecution intends to present records of prior criminal behavior, including four previous drunk-driving convictions. Two of those offenses took place in Gainesville, Ga., on Sept. 29, 1996 and April 29, 1997, while the other two took place in Wharton County on June 6, 2001, and Feb. 15, 2002. Paniagua received probation sentences for each conviction.

The Department of Public Safety wreck report states the collision took place around 9 a.m. Jan. 19 about 3.2 miles east of Wharton on FM 1301 near where it intersects with CR 113.

The report said Mendoza was traveling west in a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria police cruiser while Paniagua was headed east driving a 2001 Ford F-150 pickup.

Paniagua's pickup reportedly crossed the centerline of the roadway and the two vehicles impacted right headlight to right headlight.

Paniagua left the scene on foot and was later taken into custody at the Shell Station in Boling, about five miles from the crash site.