TEXAS CITY — One member of the group of men charged with breaking into an Algeria Street home in a deadly search for drugs testified against his friend Thursday, saying Joshua Jermaine Julius planned the break-in and went to buy bullets just hours before.

Although surveillance tapes show a person resembling Julius, 23, at a Wal-Mart firearms counter seven hours before the Jan. 28, 2007, shooting that killed Jarian Devon Garrett and injured his roommate, Julius’ father testified he was with his son during the 4 a.m. attack.

“Me and him talked just about all night,” Jesse Julius said. “He came in before midnight.”

Although the father first told defense attorney Oktavia Carstarphen his son stayed with him beginning the night of Jan. 28, he later said his son came in the night of Jan. 27 and stayed through the time of the murder.

“When you say ‘that night,’ I know he was with me,” Jesse Julius said. “I don’t know the day.”

Jamaal Esquire Lewis, 23, agreed to plead guilty to a burglary charge and testify against Joshua Julius as part of a deal that would close aggravated assault and murder charges against him.

Lewis said he, Elmo Flowers, Darren Williams and Timothy Campbell all drove to the house after Campbell and Julius planned the attack. He said he didn’t think anyone would get hurt.

Lewis said he first told Texas City police that Julius was driving a getaway car and never went inside the house to cover-up for him because he was the “god brother” of his close friend.

He said he didn’t tell the truth until questioned by the district attorney’s office.

“I was trying to cover for all of them,” he said. “I started feeling down about the situation.”

But Carstarphen asked Lewis whether he decided Julius was at the house when he was promised a plea deal.

“You said Josh wasn’t in the house,” she said. “Now you’ve been promised 10 years and the story changes.”

Lewis said he changed his story before he knew about the plea deal.

Lewis testified that only Julius and Campbell, also charged with murder, had guns when they went to the back of the house.

Julius was armed with a Kalashnikov-type rifle, Lewis said.

Five of the six gunshot wounds in Garrett’s body were likely from a high-velocity rifle, medical examiner Dr. Stephen Pustilnik testified.

Testimony is expected to conclude today in the 10^th District Court.