Judge: Trolley-Slaying Suspect Was ‘Provoked'

Judge reduces suspect's bail by $1.2 million

Although a judge conceded that a San Diego teen was provoked before the fatal stabbing death of a teenage girl at the Old Town Trolley Station last year, he still orders the suspect to stand trial.

Daniel Padilla, 17, is accused of stabbing Rochelle Quintana, 17, to death at the station last September. Sara Chavez, 17, was also stabbed in the incident.

Although Judge Michael Wellington told the court he believe that the defendant was "substantially provoked" by the victims, he determined it would be up to a jury to decide if Padilla wanted to kill them.

Quintana died of a single stab wound to the chest. The autopsy report shows that the 5 foot 4 inch tall teenage girl, who weighed 201 pounds, had traces of methamphetamine in her bloodstream when she was killed.

Padilla maintains that he was acting in self-defense.

"This is not a murder," defense attorney Terry Zimmerman told the court "This is the clearest case of self-defense that you will see.

Padilla is being tried as an adult in the case. On Friday, Wellington reduced Padilla's bail by $1.3 million, down to $200,000. He is due back in court on March 13.

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