MITCHELL, S.D. - One of the suspects in the murder of a Mitchell teenager made his first court appearance Friday.
Alexander Salgado, 20, of Fort Wayne, Ind., who recently moved to Mitchell, is charged with first-degree murder in the Tuesday death of Jasmine Guevara, 16. Also charged is a 15-year-old girl, whom authorities have identified only by the initials M.D.
Salgado and the 15-year-old girl formed a plan to kill Guevara because the girl became jealous of Salgado's and Guevara's friendship, court documents say. The girl, M.D., suspected a relationship was developing at a party Sunday night, the documents say.
The pair allegedly told investigators that they lured Guevara to pick them up and take them to Walmart, where they said they would pick up lighter fluid for a cookout they planned to have Tuesday night. They both concealed knives when Guevara picked them up, according to the court documents.
After they left Walmart, they drove to a rural Hanson County location, stabbed and cut Guevara's throat, and used the lighter fluid bought at Walmart to set fire to the vehicle containing Guevara.
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Salgado appeared in a Davison County courtroom alone in navy blue jail clothes and had his hands and feet cuffed and chained together.
He requested a court-appointed attorney.
Circuit Judge Sean O'Brien ordered that Salgado be held without bond. Salgado's only comment beyond a "yes" or "no" answer was a question.
"Am I the only one being charged with this?" Salgado asked the judge, "Because there was two of us."
"I can't answer that question," O'Brien replied.
Melanie Brandert is a reporter at The Daily Republican in Mitchell, S.D., which is owned by Forum Communications Co.
