Trial in Ranchos home invasion starts today

A Gardnerville Ranchos man who denies he invaded a neighbor's home is scheduled to go on trial on today.

Todd Patrick Holdren, 23, is facing a charge of home invasion in connection with a May 14 incident in which he allegedly kicked in the door of a neighboring home frightening a 10-year-old boy inside.

Prosecutor Erik Levin said he would call three witnesses for the two-day trial. Defense attorney Derrick Lopez said Holdren might take the stand in his own defense, but that decision would be made this afternoon.

A jury pool of 23 people will be selected at random on this morning, allowing for each attorney to challenge five of the jurors.

Gibbons said that would leave 13 people to provide a jury and an alternate. The alternate juror will be selected at random after the jury has heard the evidence.

Seating the jury should occur Tuesday morning along with opening arguments.

Levin was told to expect to call his witnesses at 1:30 p.m.

Holdren pleaded innocent to home invasion on June 14.

At a preliminary hearing, the boy testified that Holdren was yelling for the boy's father and older brother.

"He was cussing and kept on repeating 'the f-word.' I could talk to him through the window and I kept saying, 'He's not here. He's not here.' I saw him punch the door and the window. That's when I ran into my dad's room and called 911," the boy testified.

He said Holdren left, but came back a short while later and reportedly broke out the outside light and kicked the door open.

"He was in the house," the boy said. "He broke part of the door and he was actually bleeding. There were blood marks on the side of the wall."

He testified that Holdren crossed the threshold into the house, but didn't come any further.

"He was just mumbling a little bit, stumbled out the door and left," the boy said.

Under questioning by defense attorney Derrick Lopez, the boy said he'd been in Holdren's house several times playing with his friend and had no reason to be afraid of him.

"I would not, or my dad or brother, ever expected that," the boy said.

He said both doors were locked and he didn't give Holdren permission to enter the house.

Holdren was arraigned on June 14.