Prosecutor: Vega acted in defiance not defense

Published 10:34 am Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Sanders painted a verbal picture of Tyla Vega’s home life by describing her father Jason Vega as “a dope addict” and “criminal,” before an objection by District Attorney Ricky Smith that was sustained by Circuit Judge Isadore Patrick.

Tyla Vega was taken away from her biological mother, who Sanders described as a “prostitute, stripper and addict,” by the state when she was 5 and “as a last-minute resort they asked Jason if he wanted to take her,” Sanders said.

Tyla, whose mother is black and father is white, was excluded from events with Michelle Vega’s family because of her race, Sanders claimed.

Michelle Vega’s son, Wesley White, who discovered his mother’s dead body, testified that Vega was never excluded from family events and that two of his aunts have biracial children.

White also said that in the eight or nine years that he and Tyla Vega lived in the same home he had never seen or heard any signs of abuse and she never told him of any abuse.

On the Sunday before the fatal shooting, White said, he was cleaning the gun used to kill his mother when Tyla Vega inquired about the weapon, though she had never shown any interest in the rifle before.

“She asked me to show her how it worked,” he said.

Sanders contended that Tyla Vega picked up the gun in self defense after being confronted by Michelle Vega.

“This girl has been so psychologically beaten down … the child picked up a gun with no intent of killing the woman, hoping she would back down, and the gun discharged,” he said.

Trial continued this morning in Warren County Circuit Court. Vega is expected to take the stand sometime this week on her behalf, Sanders said Tuesday.