On Thursday, April 11, 2019, Marcus Alexander Kelley was sentenced to 11 years in prison for Indecency with a Child. Kelley was seeking probation from the Court. Our office presented testimony from numerous witnesses, and urged the Court to send Kelley to prison. Honorable Judge Russell Wilson heard the case and ultimately sentenced Kelley to 11 years TDCJ. Because our victim had the courage to come forward, other children will be protected from this predator while he serve...s his time. When released, Kelley will be a registered sex offender for life. We hope this sentence will allow the healing process to begin and bring some closure to the victim, the victim’s family, and the citizens of Karnes County.
Thank you to the Karnes County Sheriff’s Office, the Children’s Alliance of South Texas, and all those who helped bring this predator to justice.
We are honored to be the voice for our victims.
District Attorney's Office Awarded Scholarship
Congratulations to Victim Assistance Coordinator, Katie Quinney, and Assistant District Attorney, Lorena Whitney! They were selected by the Governor’s Office to receive full scholarships to attend the Conference on Crimes Against Women. The knowledge they gain will be an asset to our district!
Rodney Allan Miller: Sentenced to 40 years in prison for murder
Yesterday at the Karnes County Courthouse, Rodney Allan Miller pled guilty and was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Melvin Eaton (pictured below). Mr. Eaton was living in an RV in Runge, Texas and working in the oilfield. Mr. Eaton was a hard worker, who sent much of his hard-earned money home to his elderly mother.
In the early morning hours of January 2013, Mr. Eaton was struck over the head, and stabbed 15 times while inside his RV. After the murder, Rodney Miller fled to Louisiana, and was tracked down by the Texas Rangers. Texas Ranger Shane Staley, with the assistance of other law enforcement officers, investigated the case. Assistant DA Raneca Henson and Criminal Analyst Karen Dziuk, with District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis' office, worked tirelessly to ensure justice was done. We are grateful to provide Mr. Eaton’s family some closure and peace.
Jenevieve Ramos pleads guilty; sentenced to Life in Prison
Today Jenevieve Ramos pled guilty and was sentenced to Life in Prison for the murder of SAPD Officer Bobby Deckard. We are pleased with the outcome, because it provides some closure to Officer Deckard’s family, without putting them through the stress and pain of another trial. Ms. Ramos also accepted responsibility for shooting at Poth PD Officer, RJ Sanchez; she pled to Life in that case as well. We hope that Officer Deckard’s family and Officer Sanchez are able to put this chapter behind them, and find some peace and closure with the resolution of these cases. We lost a good man, and great officer.
Pete Longoria Leal: Found Guilty of DWI 3rd or More
Pete Longoria Leal, after being found guilty of DWI 3rd or More by a Wilson County jury on November 14, 2018, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison by Judge Donna Rayes. DPS Trooper Anthony Flores stopped Mr. Leal for driving the wrong way on Highway 181 on November 10, 2017 at 12:45am. We commend Trooper Flores for taking Mr. Leal off the street, and protecting the lives of innocent drivers on the road that night. Thank you to Assistant District Attorneys Lorena Whitney and Marc Ledet for trying the case, and Sarah Martinez with adult probation for the thorough pre-sentence investigation report.
2018 Was a BIG year!
Not everyone knows what their District Attorney’s Office does. Thank you Pleasanton Express, for sharing our information on the challenges and highlights of our office in 2018. Much more to accomplish in the year ahead!
Police Officer Jose Pargas' use of deadly force was justified
A Frio County grand jury has found Dilley Police Department Officer Jose Pargas' use of deadly force to be justified in the July 13, 2018 shooting of Juan Luna at the Dilley City Park. Texas Ranger Tony Leal conducted the investigation, with the full cooperation of Officer Pargas and the Dilley Police Department. As the DA, I have a policy of reviewing all officer involved shootings, and all officer involved shootings are presented to the grand jury. The DA's Office agreed with the findings of the Ranger and grand jury, and found the actions of Officer Pargas to be justified in response to the actions of Mr. Luna.
We would like to commend Officer Pargas for his quick response, and recognize that this scenario is never a good one. Our hearts go out to both Officer Pargas and the Luna family.
50 Years in prison for sexual assault
“You did this over and over…”
FLORES FACES 50 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEX ASSAULT
This story is shared from LaSalle County Sheriff’s Facebook Page.
By Marc Robertson
A Cotulla man was sentenced by District Judge Russell Wilson in La Salle County on Thursday, October 18, to serve a maximum of fifty years in prison for the first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault of a young girl.
Prosecuting on behalf of the state of Texas, District Attorney Audrey Louis showed during the sentencing phase of the case Thursday that Daniel Flores, 39, had at least twice molested a family member who was under the age of 14 in July 2016.
Court testimony showed that the child reported the offenses to her father and that a criminal investigation ensued.
Flores had recently successfully completed a probation sentence from a 2009 conviction for the possession of child pornography and was registered as a sex offender living in La Salle County.
“You’re not sorry about this,” the district attorney said while confronting Flores in court Thursday. “You did this over and over. You’re just sorry that you got caught.”
Judge Wilson ordered that two 25-year sentences be served consecutively, pointing out to the convicted felon that the first sentence must be served before the second begins, meaning Flores must spend at least a quarter century behind bars before he may seek a reduction of his prison term.
“My staff and I want to extend our thanks to the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office and to Investigator Homar Olivarez for the in-depth and exhaustive investigation that led to this conviction and sentencing,” DA Louis said Thursday. “Together, we have helped ensure that justice was served for the benefit of the child victim in this case.”
Joe-Ricky DeLeon pled guilty to twenty years in prison
Due to the hard work of both the La Vernia Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, defendant Joe-Ricky DeLeon pled guilty to twenty years in prison for two counts of aggravated assault on a public servant and ten years in prison for evading with a vehicle in Wilson County today. DeLeon had stolen a Dodge 3500 pickup truck and fled from law enforcement, including ramming the stolen vehicle into four separate police vehicles. While two officers sustained injuries, they were still able to get him off the road and apprehended while protecting the public from harm.
Our streets and communities are safer due to their skill, training, and dedication. Special thanks to Assistant District Attorneys Lorena Whitney and Marc Ledet for their role in representing our office in bringing Deleon to justice.
Atascosa County man sentenced to 20 years in prison
An Atascosa County man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for Aggravated Robbery after a contested sentencing hearing before the Honorable 81st District Judge Donna Rayes. Armando Guerra, 26, was shoplifting lawn equipment from the Walmart in Pleasanton, when he pulled out a handgun, and fired it at a Walmart employee who tried to stop him. Guerra must serve at least half his sentence before he will be parole eligible. Our community is safer with Armando Guerra behind bars. Special thanks to prosecutor, Marc Ledet, for handling the case.