After Wednesday’s lunch break, the Deputy Medical Examiner for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office was called to the stand in the trial of Fabian Polvon, who is accused of gunning down his wife and her friend at an Odessa car wash in 2019.
The trial will resume Thursday morning at 9 a.m. in District Judge Justin Low’s 161st court.
Dr. Tasha Z. Greenberg, the deputy medical examiner for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, detailed 36-year-old Joseph Granado was shot twice, while Tiffany Polvon was shot at least eight times but she stated that it could have been nine as one of the gunshots could have entered and exited her left arm and then re-entered the left side of her body.
While autopsy photographs of Tiffany Polvon were being shown to the jury and people who were sitting in the courtroom gallery, Fabian Polvon kept his head down. The only time Fabian Polvon spoke was when he was admonished by Judge Low. The admonishment was Polvon’s choice to take the stand and be questioned.
Greenberg, who has held a doctor of medicine degree since 1996 and forensic pathology since 2001, said she has performed thousands of autopsies, which includes the autopsies for Granado and Tiffany Polvon.
Greenberg ruled the cause of death for Granado and Tiffany Polvon was gunshots. Greenberg stated Granado was shot in the face and in the chest, while Tiffany Polvon had gunshots located in her left jaw, upper chest, arm, shoulder and back.
All bullets that struck Tiffany Polvon entered and exited her body except for one that entered her lower left jaw and stopped in her upper jaw that knocked out multiple upper teeth. The bullet that entered Granado’s right chin was found in his shoulder.
After Greenberg was called, the defense called its first witness, which was Valente Polvon, the older brother of Fabian Polvon.
Valente Polvon testified that he dated Tiffany Polvon’s cousin Linda Hinojos, who testified on Tuesday. Valente Polvon testified the relationship between he and Hinojos lasted nearly 10 years.
Valente Polvon also testified that Tiffany Polvon would get violent and hit his younger brother. When questioned by the defense, Valente Polvon said he saw Tiffany Polvon push his younger brother and she would get physically violent.
During cross examination, Valente Polvon was asked if his brother was institutionalized. There was immediate objection from the defense, but Low allowed the question as Fabian Polvon pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity on Tuesday.
Valente Polvon testified to his knowledge his younger brother hadn’t been institutionalized.
After Valente Polvon was questioned, Judge Low sent the jury back into the jury room and Valente Polvon was taken into custody by the Ector County Sheriff’s Office for two outstanding warrants. The warrants were for harassment and criminal trespass. As of early Wednesday evening, Valente Polvon was in intake at the Ector County Law Enforcement Center.
In the morning session of Wednesday’s trial, there were three Odessa Police Department officers questioned. The three OPD officers were Katelyn Paredes, Samuel Chavez and Justin Caid.
An earlier Odessa American article reported that a probable cause affidavit detailed that a witness saw a white Ford F-350 pickup collided with a black Cadillac Escalade on Nov. 26, 2019 that was parked on the north side of the Apex Car Wash parking lot located at 2357 E. Eighth St.
After the pickup collided with the Escalade, the witness said the suspect, who was later identified as Fabian Polvon, exited the pickup and walked to the Escalade and used a handgun to shoot Granado multiple times as he was exiting the passenger side of the Escalade.
Video surveillance showed after he shot Granado, that he walked to the driver’s side and shot his wife through the door, which struck her several times.
The affidavit stated that Fabian Polvon pulled his wife from the car and onto the ground and then left the scene.
It was reported by the Odessa American that on Nov. 27, 2019, Polvon’s father, identified as Valente Palvon Rodriguez, contacted OPD and stated that his son had contacted him and wanted to turn himself in, the affidavit stated.
Rodriguez also stated that he had confessed to him that he shot his wife and Granado.
>> Reporting by Royal McGregor and Michael Bauer
