LAKEPORT — An inmate from the county jail testified Wednesday in the toddler-killing trial and said one co-defendant boasted about participating in the shooting and talked about a plan to escape from custody last year.
The testimony came soon after jurors heard audio recordings of police interviews during which the same defendant, Paul William Braden, denied playing any role in the incident.
Braden, 22, and Orlando Joseph Lopez Jr., 24, pleaded not guilty to 15 felonies, including one murder count, for allegedly pulling the triggers in a late-night shooting last June in Clearlake during which Skyler Rapp, 4, was killed and five other people were injured.
The Clearlake Oaks men are standing trial in the same courtroom but have different attorneys and separate juries.
Only Braden”s jury heard testimony Wednesday at the Lake County Courthouse.
Daniel Ray Loyd was the main prosecution witness of the day, and he described alleged conversations he had with Braden at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility in September and October.
Loyd is in custody facing a murder charge in an unrelated case. All of his testimony Wednesday came under direct questioning by Lake County District Attorney Don Anderson.
The inmate testified that there has been no discussion of him receiving a deal in exchange for his testimony, saying he reached out to the DA”s Office “because it”s the right thing to do.”
According to Loyd, Braden was “bragging about how he was going to get away with shooting that little boy.”
Loyd testified that Braden said he, Lopez and Kevin Stone drove to a party in a van, and “they all three got out and started blasting out over the fence.”
Stone, a former co-defendant who reached a plea agreement last fall, is expected to testify as a prosecution witness.
Braden allegedly told his fellow inmate that nobody could identify him because he wore a ski mask and gloves and shot from behind a fence.
As for a possible motive, Loyd said Braden talked about Stone and Lopez wanting “to retaliate because somebody got beat down.”
Loyd testified Braden said he supplied the guns for the shooting.
According to Loyd, Braden also talked about intimidating witnesses and threatening Lopez and Stone.
By mid-October, Braden began describing a plan to overpower a female correctional officer, take her keys and escape to a car that would be waiting outside the jail, according to Loyd.
When Braden asked if Loyd wanted to join, Loyd said he replied, “”I”ll get back to you on that.” That”s what I told him.”
Braden”s attorney, Doug Rhoades, did not cross-examine Loyd on Wednesday. He is set to begin his questioning this morning.
Before Loyd testified, Braden”s jurors heard two audio recordings of police interviews with the defendant on June 20 — one occurred at about 1:45 a.m. and the other after 7 p.m.
Braden continually denied taking part in the shootings, even as Clearlake Police officers accused him of lying about the events of June 18, according to the recordings.
“I”m not lying,” Braden said at one point in an interview. “I”m telling you guys what I know,” he added later.
Prior to the start of testimony Wednesday morning, Judge Doris L. Shockley read an admonition to the jurors, telling them to completely ignore statements made on the stand by Clearlake Police Sgt. Tim Celli on April 26.
Celli”s testimony, which was stricken, described alleged statements made by Lopez after being taken into custody last June.
Those comments on the stand led to separate mistrial motions filed on behalf of both defendants. Shockley deferred ruling on the requests last week.
