The Justice Journal: Vol. 71 (English)

The Justice Journal: Vol. 71

A look at cases recently prosecuted by the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office.

State vs. Jason Hardy Oakes

Murder

Lead: Sarah Beth DeLay

2nd Chair: Kathryn Suggs

DA Investigator: Mikey Csaszar

DA Paralegal: Stephanie Thompson

DA Intern: Camden Vokey

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant got into a fight with the owner of a known drug house in North Lake Highlands over a bicycle that the owner refused to return to the defendant. Eight days later, the defendant stole a car and linked up with some people from a party who gave the defendant (a convicted felon) a gun. They drove to Pleasant Grove to the drug house, and the defendant opened fire on the house. Three people were standing on the porch at the time of the shooting and all three were shot. One of the victims died from her injuries. The victim was a completely innocent bystander who had nothing to do with the dispute between the defendant and the owner of the house. The defendant disposed of the gun and went into hiding for three weeks until he was caught.

The defendant testified at trial that he was only trying to shoot at the house and did not intend to kill anyone. Witness testimony and evidence persuaded the jury that the three individuals on the porch were clearly visible from the vehicle, and they returned a sentence of 60 years.

GUILTY and sentenced to 60 years in prison + a $10,000 fine.

State vs. Amaya Medrano & Annika Aleman

Capital Murder

Prosecutor: Alicia Patterson

DA Investigator: Rusty Taylor

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

66-year-old Ahmad Alkhalaf advertised a phone for sale on Facebook Marketplace and was messaged by defendant Aleman to meet at a gas station to buy the phone. Defendant Aleman did not go to the gas station but sent her co-defendant. Defendant Medrano went to the meeting and stole the phone from the victim. The victim briefly ran after defendant Medrano and Medrano shot the victim. Defendant Aleman then posted the stolen phone for sale on Facebook Marketplace and disposed of the murder weapon. The two teenage defendants were identified through surveillance video and social media evidence.

GUILTY pleas – Medrano sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder; Aleman sentenced to 37 years in prison for aggravated robbery.

State vs. Son Hoang Pham

Aggravated Sexual Assault

Lead: Kalle Riner

2nd Chair: Brenna Buchanan

DA Investigators: Abigail Cruz, Raphael Vela

DA Victim Advocate: Adriana Sellers

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

Special thanks to Investigator John Ludwigs for his work executing the intimate Motion to Photograph, providing compelling evidence at trial.

The victim survivor met the defendant near the DART station in downtown Dallas. The defendant would later become aggressive with the victim and sexually assault her and beat her with a broomstick to prevent her from leaving. When she was ultimately able to get away, she got a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exam and provided a detailed description to the police. Months later, a Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) hit gave the detective a lead for this defendant. When the defendant later reported discovering an unrelated dead body near the jail (meth overdose), he was apprehended on his warrant. Using the victim survivor’s description, we were also able to utilize a motion photograph of the defendant to further confirm his identity.

GUILTY and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

State vs. Chancellor Nelson

Injury to a Child causing Serious Bodily Injury

Lead: Kalle Riner

2nd Chair: Jennifer Sawyer

DA Investigator: Laura Brakefield

DA Victim Advocate: Audri Graham

Investigating Agency: Irving Police Department

The defendant pleaded guilty to Injury to a Child Causing Serious Bodily Injury by Omission and went to the Court for punishment. The State presented evidence that the defendant injured his 16-month-old baby by inflicting scalding water burns to the victim’s face. During the two days the victim was without medical care, the victim experienced a hypoxic event which caused his brain to swell and his body to shut down. On the evening of the second day he was without care, the baby seized for six hours before becoming unresponsive around midnight. At that point, the mother called 911 and the baby was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries in the days that followed.

The case was investigated by Detective Andy Padrutt with the Irving Police Department. Detective Padrutt and his team were thorough and compassionate throughout this case, playing a vital role in securing justice for the victim.

GUILTY and agreed to 45 years in prison.

State vs. Raimond Rubio

Murder

Lead: Taylor Willis

2nd Chair: Zachery Brown

DA Investigators: Ric Bruner, Zach Johnston

DA Paralegal: Madelein Garcia

Investigating Agency: Irving Police Department

The defendant shot and killed his girlfriend’s husband in the homes shared by all three individuals.

GUILTY and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

State vs. Gerardo Rodriguez

Murder

Lead: George Lewis

2nd Chair: Melinda Chaney

DA Investigator: Anthony Winn

DA Victim Advocate: Sandra Walker

Investigating Agency: Carrollton Police Department

On August 31, 2023, around 10:30 pm, the deceased victim Michael Mills and his friend Brittany Bass were returning to Mills’ apartment after Mills tried to sell his car because he planned on moving back to his home state of Delaware the next day. Bass was driving and stopped her vehicle in the apartment complex parking lot to back-in to a parking spot. The defendant pulled around Bass’ vehicle, blocking her from moving forward, exited his vehicle and went to Bass’ driver window where he confronted the pair about moving their vehicle so he could park. Bass and Mills knew the defendant because Mills and the defendant were neighbors and they had all interacted in the past, but for some odd reason the defendant did not recognize them in return.

Mills exited Bass’ vehicle and approached the defendant to try to calm the defendant down. An argument followed at which point Bass called 911. Mills challenged the defendant to a fight and both parties proceeded to a grass area adjacent to the parking lot., During a brief physical fight, the defendant pulled out a knife and stabbed Mills in the chest/heart, killing him. Mills did not have a weapon and never made any physical contact with the defendant.

After the stabbing, the defendant fled the scene in his vehicle and disposed of the knife which police searched for but never recovered. The defendant turned himself in several hours later and gave a voluntary statement to police which ultimately turned out to be the main evidence disproving his self-defense claim.

Despite only having a prior misdemeanor DWI conviction in his criminal history, the jury sentenced the defendant to 28 years in prison and a maximum fine.

GUILTY and sentenced to 28 years in prison + $10,000 fine.

State vs. Toneisha Savage

Murder

Lead: Emily Antram

2nd Chair: Marissa Hatchett

DA Investigator: Claudia Marroquin

DA Paralegal: Andretta Lewis

DA Victim Advocate: Sandra Walker

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On July 1, 2022, Jamiah McCoy and her best friend Nehemiah Savage had a disagreement about cleaning up, which led to Jamiah leaving. When Jamiah was leaving, the defendant, Nehemiah’s mother, would not let Jamiah take her belongings with her.

Jamiah returned to the apartment to get her belongings with her stepmother and cousin and there was a small crowd of people waiting outside. Jamiah got in a fist fight with Nehemiah in the grassy area in front of the defendant’s apartment. The defendant came out with a gun and shot Jamiah one time in the back causing her death. The defendant then pointed a gun at Jamiah’s cousin, then shot Jamiah’s stepmother in the leg before fleeing the area.

In this trial, the defense team included Scottie Allen, Brandon McCarthy, Rob Ammons, Lisette Rios and several other attorneys. The jury deliberated for an entire day before turning a guilty verdict on manslaughter.

GUILTY on Manslaughter and sentenced to 6 years in prison.

State vs. Catherine Morrison

Injury to Elder

Lead: Alicia Patterson

2nd Chair: Marissa Trevino

DA Investigators: Rusty Taylor, Ryan Rodriguez

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant assaulted her elderly father by punching him once in the face after she alleged that her Taco Bell was poisoned. The defendant has substance abuse issues and has refused treatment offers.

GUILTY and sentenced to 6 years in prison.