HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For the first time, jurors are hearing the 911 call made by a robbery victim who admitted to opening fire in a chain of events that ultimately led to the death of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez.
Tony Earls, the man who made that call, is on trial for manslaughter. Prosecutors say one of the bullets he fired struck and killed Arlene as she rode in a truck with her family on their way to dinner in February 2022.
The shooting occurred as part of a series a events that began when Earls and his wife were robbed at an ATM on Woodridge in the Gulfgate area. At the same time, Arlene's family was driving by. Earls' defense attorney claims he opened fire in self-defense, believing the suspect was shooting at him. However, prosecutors argue that Earls was the only person firing