The Justice Journal: Vol. 39

State vs. Isabel Saucedo

Stalking

Aggravated Kidnapping

Aggravated Sexual Assault

Lead: David Isaacks

2nd Chair: Deborah Bankhead

DA Investigator: William Martinez

DA Victim Advocate: Adriana Sellers

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant and the victim met at a Red Cross Clinic in May 2020. Soon after, they began a dating relationship and regularly had consensual sex. As the relationship developed, the defendant became more dominant, jealous, and controlling, which led to the victim breaking off the relationship in early 2022. After the breakup, the defendant would show up at the victim’s apartment, banging on the door and windows, trying to convince her to get back together, but the victim would not respond. On April 23rd, 2022, the victim left her apartment to walk to a nearby grocery store. Before she could even get out of her apartment’s parking lot, the defendant pulled his truck in front of her, got out, pointed a gun at her head, and forced her into his truck. He then drove her to his house where he raped her while threatening to kill her. Afraid for her life, the victim agreed to resume the relationship to appease him. After about 4 hours and threatening to kill her if she went to the police, the defendant took her back to her apartment.

Afterward, the victim again refused to see or communicate with the defendant. The defendant began to continuously call the victim, and she refused to answer. He left over 40 voicemails on her phone. The voicemails included statements that he was watching her, tracking her, threats to kill her, kidnap her, to have her and her children deported, and even threatened her with violence. The threats escalated to the point where the victim decided to go to the police in June 2022, almost two months after she was kidnapped and raped.

GUILTY on Stalking and sentenced to 10 years in Prison.
GUILTY on Aggravated Kidnapping and sentenced to 42 years in Prison.
GUILTY on Aggravated Sexual Assault and sentenced to 50 years in Prison.

Aggravated Sex Assault of a Child

Lead: Amanda Boylan

2nd Chair: Taylor Willis

DA Investigator: Joe Mundy

DA Victim Advocate: Yvonne Macias

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. The victim felt a sense of relief that they were finally able to share their story and have people believe them.

GUILTY and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Manslaughter

Lead: Leah Dintino

2nd Chair: Alex Dobiyanski

3rd Chair: Taylor Volesky

DA Investigators: Victor Vasquez, Garrick Whaley & Ron Cathcart

DA Victim Advocate: Melinda Shelton

Investigating Agency: Grand Prairie Police Department

The defendant was driving his two sons and three of their friends down I-20 in Grand Prairie. He was going at least 96 mph and weaving through lanes when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into 105 feet of guardrail. His 17-year-old son, Derrick Hall II, was killed and the other children in the car were injured. The Jury saw photos of the wreck, reviewed data from the car, and watched almost two hours of the defendant’s interview where he blamed his sons’ actions and lied about how the accident happened. During the punishment phase, the Jury heard that the defendant had abused his wife and his son. The Jury described him as a narcissist. Because of this, the Jury rejected probation and sentenced the Defendant to 8 years in prison.

GUILTY and sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Aggravated Robbery

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Lead: Mandy Waite

2nd Chair: Katherine Lessing

DA Investigator: Crystal Gregan

DA Victim Advocate: Ivette Valenciano

Investigating Agency: Dallas County Police Department

The defendant walked into a 7-Eleven armed with a gun. He stole donuts, a drink, and cigarettes. As he was leaving, and with intent to maintain control over the stolen property, the defendant pulled out a silver gun and racked it, frightening store associates and other customers. The defendant fled the scene and went straight to an ex-girlfriend’s house. He banged on her door, and when she asked him to leave and began to call the police for help, the defendant pulled out the same silver gun on her. He threatened to shoot her and pointed the gun at her head, then fled the scene. Officers and Detectives with Dallas PD quickly realized the suspect in both offenses was the same based on the clothing and vehicle description provided. The defendant returned to the victim’s home as officers were taking a report, and evaded officers as they attempted to apprehend him. Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in apprehending the defendant after a more than 20-mile pursuit. The jury quickly found him guilty on both charges as indicted.

GUILTY and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Lead: Abby Parmelly

2nd Chair: Yael Zbolon

DA Investigator: Ric Bruner

DA Legal Assistant: Daisy Hernandez

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant proclaimed himself “Lord of the Parking Lot” of a bar off Harry Hines. The victim, Jose Pena, was on his way to buy his wife a gift when he got lost. He turned into a nearby parking lot to orient himself and pull up his GPS so he could get back on the right path. The defendant started screaming profanities at Mr. Pena, who is a native Spanish speaker. Not understanding what exactly the defendant wanted, Mr. Pena rolled down his window to try to communicate that he was just trying to find his way on GPS and would be leaving shortly. The defendant walked up to him and punched Mr. Pena, a complete stranger, in the face. Mr. Pena tried to call 911 but before he was able to the defendant flashed a gun in his waistband and before Mr. Pena even realized what was happening, he was being pistol-whipped in the face. He peeled out and drove away to call 911. He waited until police arrived and relayed what happened.

Unbeknown to our victim, a few minutes before he pulled into the parking, the defendant had another violent encounter with another stranger who had pulled into the lot to park because he was going to an adjacent business. Mr. Paris Jones said he pulled into the parking lot, started parking, the defendant indicated he could go ahead and park and then did an about-face and told him to get out. He tried to understand why the defendant changed his mind so abruptly and how he could even have the authority to tell him where to park since he was not a parking attendant or a bouncer. Before he even had a chance to articulate that he would only be in the lot for a bit, the defendant raised his shirt and pointed his gun directly at Mr. Jones, and aggressively told him to get out of the parking lot. He abruptly left and called 911 from a safe location nearby and waited for police to arrive.

GUILTY of Assault and Judge sentenced defendant to 2 years’ probation.

Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child

Lead: Rachael Carrico

2nd Chair: Jessica Lynch

DA Investigator: Harold Martin

DA Victim Advocate: Erica Jordan

A witness was walking her dog when she saw something that shocked her so much that she did not tell anyone right away. There was talk in the apartment complex that made its way to the victim’s grandmother weeks later who immediately called the police. The victim, an 8-year-old, made a disclosure during the forensic interview. During the trial, the defense argued the respondent did not do anything wrong and the victim was merely parroting an upset grandmother.

Adjudication: TRUE

Stalking — Probation revocation

Lead: Gary McDonald

Special thanks to ADA Clint Stiffler and Lt. James Hammond

On May 3, 2021, Neil Noble was tried for the offense of Stalking. The case was tried successfully using COVID protocols. At the conclusion of the trial, he was convicted by the jury as charged. He was sentenced to 10 years, probated for 4 years to include intensive monitoring with an Electric Leg Monitor. On August 25, 2023, he cut off his ankle monitor and was arrested by members of the Dallas Police Department’s Fugitive Unit for a probation violation warrant.

On September 29, 2023, Judge Collins revoked his probation, found him guilty, and sentenced him to 10 years in the penitentiary. His intended victim in the Stalking case was former First Assistant District Attorney Messina Madson. Former ADA Jody Warner also testified in punishment because he also harassed her via text message during the same time.

GUILTY and sentenced to 10 years in prison.