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Jodi Arias says she grabbed gun, pointing weapon at lover after shower mishap

Posted at 3:13 PM, Feb 20, 2013
and last updated 2013-02-20 15:24:17-05

PHOENIX, Ariz. (WTVR) -- A woman charged in her lover's slaying is testifying about the day of his death, and describing for jurors how the victim's rage was escalating, and how she never planned to kill him.

Jodi Arias has spent seven days detailing the events that to Travis Alexander's death in June 2008 at his Mesa, Arizona home.

On Tuesday she began discussing the details that led up to the killing.

Arias talked about showing Alexander pictures she took of him in the shower, when she said something bad happened. She dropped Alexander's camera and it slammed into the floor.

Arias told jurors how she became frightened over Alexander's rising temper. In fact, she said he lifted her off the ground and body slammed her onto the bathroom tile.

That's when she said he screamed out that her five-year-old could have done a better job holding onto the camera than she did.

"I was scared. I was thinking, 'crap,'" Arias said. "Because this is everything I was trying to avoid downstairs when he started getting mad. I was doing everything I could to avoid that -- and I still screwed it up – and now he's pissed again. "

Arias went on to say that they were both freaking out -- and ended up rolling into the hallway. She said she took off and ran down the hallway.

But when Alexander started to chase her, Arias said she became fearful that he might kill her. In turn, she ran into his closet and grabbed Alexander’s gun.

Arias said she ran back out of the closet, brandishing the gun at Alexander even as he continued to chase her, so he would stop chasing her.

Arias has said earlier that she drove from California to meet Alexander and that she had no gun or knife with her. He was shot and stabbed multiple times.

Prosecutors must prove she planned the killing to secure a first-degree murder conviction and the death penalty.

Arias has claimed the killing was self-defense after Alexander attacked he, but prosecutors said she killed in a jealous rage.

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