Jury selection underway in snowball slaying case

Jury selection began this morning in a Philadelphia courtroom in the trial of a Feltonville man accused of shooting and killing a teenager who was throwing snowballs.

Jose Mendez, 25, is charged with murder and related counts in the Feb. 24, 2008 shooting of Teven Rutledge, 15, after the two had an argument in the 4800 block of D Street.

Rutledge, who was celebrating his birthday that day, was out shortly after 10 a.m. having a snowball fight with friends when one of the snowballs hit either Mendez - news accounts differ - or a man near him.

Police said an argument ensued and Mendez left and went to his house and then returned to the scene of the argument.

One witness at Mendez's preliminary hearing last year testified that Mendez walked up to Rutledge and said, "Why are you here when I return?"

Mendez then allegedly pulled a black handgun from his waistband and shot Rutledge in the right side of the head, killing him.

The city prosecutor and Mendez's defense attorney are expected to spend most of today picking a jury in the Criminal Justice Center courtroom of Common Pleas Court Judge Shelley Robins New with opening statements and testimony possible tomorrow.