Benton County jury seated in Christmas Eve fatal shooting trial

A jury of five men and nine women has been seated in the trial of a man charged with killing his ex-girlfriend on Christmas Eve in Kennewick.

Francisco Javier Munoz Quintero’s trial started Monday in Benton County Superior Court.

The jury includes two alternates, who will be picked before the panel goes into deliberations.

Opening statements will begin at 9 a.m. May 18 in Courtroom B at the Benton County Justice Center.

Munoz Quintero, 20, is charged with second-degree murder with a gun. It includes the aggravating circumstances of domestic violence and that the crime had a destructive and foreseeable impact on others.

He allegedly shot Luisa A. Garcia Farias late Dec. 24 after she agreed to drive him to a Kennewick neighborhood from Mabton.

Garcia Farias, 21, was hit in the abdomen and pushed out of the car.

Court documents show Munoz Quintero then drove off with their 22-month-old daughter in the backseat. He turned himself in 19 hours later on Christmas Day.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Benton County jury seated in Christmas Eve fatal shooting trial."