HOUSTON – The man accused of stabbing a 75-year-old woman more than a dozen times and then squatting in her southwest Houston home appeared in court Thursday.
Marco Cobos, 19, faces a capital murder charge in the slaying of Etta Nugent, whose body was found at her Neff Street home Sunday.
According to investigators, Cobos had been sleeping in a stolen pickup parked in front of Nugent’s home for at least two days. He forced his way into Nugent’s home and stabbed her 13 times with multiple knives after she refused to help him with the broken down truck, investigators said.
Prosecutors said Cobos stole $560 from Nugent’s purse and used the money to buy food and a new battery for the pickup. He returned to the home, ate some food, stole three credit cards and then left.
According to Nunnery, they invoked Cobos' fifth and sixth amendment rights during his first appearance Thursday.
"What we did today was invoke (Cobos') fifth amendment right to remain silent, as well as his sixth amendment right to counsel," said Nunnery.
Nunnery went on to say Cobos is not from Texas; his last known location was Phoenix.
"There is a question of whether or not he is in the country legally or not," Nunnery said. "His country of origin is apparently Mexico."
Police said Cobos confessed to the crime after his arrest. Cobos' defense attorney, Alvin Nunnery, is not so sure about the confession.
"A. I don't know if he gave a confession and B. I don't know if it was properly taken or not," Nunnery said. "That is something that we will learn in discovery."
Cobos is being held at the Harris County Jail.