Jealousy Possible Motive in Fatal Shooting of Former El Paso Radio DJ

A possible motive in the 2016 death of Rick Madrigal, a former KLAQ air personality and Destination El Paso employee, was revealed during the first day of testimony in the Leonel Hernandez murder trial.

Stephanie Valle, who is covering the case for KVIA ABC7, reports that the state’s first witness, Isis Lozoya, testified that her mother, Marinda Palacios, was dating Hernandez at the time and was also acquainted with Madrigal.

Lozoya told the court Palacios told her in a phone conversation that took place on the night of the deadly shooting that jealousy might have been the reason Hernandez shot and killed Madrigal -- although, per one of Valle's accounts of the trial, "what would have caused the feelings of jealousy wasn’t explained."

As 93.1 KISS-FM previously reported, Hernandez admitted under questioning to shooting and killing Madrigal, known on air as “Mardi Gras,” at his west El Paso apartment on June 11, 2016. Palacios witnessed the murder but failed to report the crime to police.

She is facing a charge of Failure to Report a Felony, which is a Class A Misdemeanor, but that charge will be dropped in exchange for her testimony against Hernandez.