Grand Jury Signs More Than 50 Indictments in June

The Hopkins County Grand Jury during the June court session signed more than 50 indictments, pushing those cases forward for prosecution.

Half of the charges were for drug and alcohol offenses. The rest ranged from continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 years to engaging in organized criminal activity and stolen vehicle or evading arrest in a vehicle charges. However, half of the cases were for drug and alcohol related offenses.

Jovanni Vargas was indicted for assault of a family or household member that impeded breathing or circulation. Hopkins County deputies March 17 responded to a report of a man trying to harm himself at a FM 69 south residence. Upon arriving at the scene, officers reported seeing visible marks on a woman’s neck, allegedly from her boyfriend attempting to grab and drag her off the bed. Vargas, 25, had reportedly locked himself in the bathroom and had indicated that he might harm himself. As officers attempted to gain entry into the bathroom, they heard glass breaking; Vargas was attempting to exit through an outside window, according to sheriff’s reports at the time of Vargas’ arrest.

Chase Mitchell Hopper was indicted for burglary of a habitation. The 21-year-old Wills Point man was arrested April 22 after deputies caught him inside the County Road 1165 home he’d allegedly broken into. Sheriff’s deputies conduct a welfare check on a resident, who’d asked a child to call 911 because a person was reported to be breaking into the home, according to arrest reports. Deputies entered the master bedroom. Hopper allegedly walked out of the master bathroom with two large butcher knives in his right hand and had to be disarmed, according to arrest reports.

Indicted for unauthorized use of a vehicle was Malcom X Holmes. The 31-year-old Tennessee truck driver was tracked May 24 using GPS to Mockingbird, where troopers reportedly found him driving a Volvo tractor and semi-trailer that’d been reported stolen. When stopped, Holmes allegedly told the trooper that he believed the company we was working for was going to terminate his employment and he did not return the truck as directed by the owner, the trooper alleged in arrest reports.

Jonis Sendra too was indicted for unauthorized use of a vehicle. The 36-year-old New Port Richey, Florida resident was arrested by deputies April 24 on the north Interstate 30 service road. He allegedly left a Brashear truck business in the company truck after a disturbance when he was fired. When asked why he stole the vehicle, the driver told deputies he didn’t steal it, that he “was not going to be treated like a dog and was not going to be left on the side of the road, ” deputies alleged in arrest reports. Company representatives told deputies the man had been fired, but was offered a ride to the bus station. The ex-employee allegedly became irate and was asked by company representatives to remove his items from the vehicle. When a deputy checked the vehicle, he reported a GPS-style device in it was “attempting to notify the driver his travel was not authorized and to stop the vehicle,” according to arrest reports.

Also indicted for unauthorized use of a vehicle was Timothy Pernell Thurston. The 54-year-old Texarkana man arrested April 11 by deputies. He was accused of stealing a tan Chevrolet Avalanche with a sticker featuring two pink lips on the back glass from Texarkana. Deputies reported Thurston had difficulty speaking, and glass pipes containing a partial Brillo pad and a substance the deputy believed to be crack cocaine residue were allegedly found in his possession, officers alleged in arrest reports.

Raydarrius Rashad Brewer, Davionte Durpee Rockmore, Daija Lynquan Rose, Brandon Ranard Tatum and Jeremiah Wayne Tatum were all indicted for engaging in organized criminal activity. The five Dallas area residents were arrested April 12 on Interstate 30 in Cumby for their alleged involvement in the theft of cell phones at T-Mobile in Sulphur Springs. A Cumby policeman, aided by a state trooper, detained a vehicle matching the one the suspects reportedly left the store property in. The officers reported finding a gold iPhone which matched the phone ID numbers of one of the stolen phones, authorities alleged in arrest reports.

Eric Vincent Klemptner, 46, of Dike was indicted for evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. He allegedly continued driving for 1 mile after Sulphur Springs police attempted to stop him May 4 for a traffic violation. When contacted, he reportedly told the officer he was going to Dike with the officer following because he didn’t want his vehicle towed, officers alleged in reports at the time of his arrest.

Also indicted for evading arrest or detention with a vehicle was Williams Joseph Simpson, 27. He is accused of leading police on a high speed chase along I-30 from Cumby to Royse City, where the tires of his vehicle were spiked. The car took the exit, went onto the service road and through a red light before a front tire began to smoke and lose air, then stop, police alleged in arrest reports on April 5.

Justin Karl Roderick was indicted for driving while intoxicated, third or more offense. He was reported to police for suspected DWI, contacted as he turned into Pilot Travel Center May 1. He allegedly admitted to having one beer in the vehicle and drinking several before being contacted when asked if he was drinking and driving. He then was found to be intoxicated on horizontal gaze nystagmus and breath tests, police alleged in arrest reports.

Mario Aguilar, 50, of Pittsburg was also indicted for driving while intoxicated, third or more offense. He was reportedly stopped by trooper for speeding. He exhibited signs of intoxication and initially admitted to drinking one beer. After he was found intoxicated using field sobriety tests, he admitted to having six beers before driving, state troopers alleged in arrest reports.

Indicted for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair it was Camron Michael Hamil, 28. He was noted to be extremely nervous during a traffic stop April 19. After police arrested him on misdemeanor charges, they found a pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke methamphetamine where he’d been. The officer believed the man was trying to discard it under the patrol vehicle, resulting in the felony charge, police alleged in reports at the time of his arrest.

Joshua Ryan Knox, Jose Alberto Mejia, Christopher Dale Moore and Clifford Mogaka Nyabera were indicted for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance. The four were stopped Oct. 7, 2018 by police for not having a front license plate. On approach, the officer reportedly smelled marijuana in their van. A sizable amount of suspected ecstasy was allegedly found, according to arrest reports.

Infant Venzor, 20, and Marc Anthony Martinez, 23, both of Dallas, were indicted for unauthorized use of a vehicle. They were arrested April 28 by Cumby police. The car they were in caught the officer’s attention because it had a defective light. Then, the male passenger got out when the car stopped at the stop sign on Frisco Street and the north Interstate 30 service road and got into the driver’s seat. The female driver climbed over the console and into the passenger’s seat. During his interview with the pair, the policeman said he developed “reasonable suspicion that Mr. Martinez and Ms. Venzor were engaging in criminal activity,” so he asked Martinez to step out of the car and asked permission to search it. Martinez refused permission. He then asked Venzor’s permission, since she was the initial driver. She agreed. Several new Dewalt power tools with “spider wire” still on them were located. A license plate check showed the car had been reported April 25 to Dallas Police as stolen. Both were taken to jail, Cumby officers alleged in reports following the pair’s arrest on April 28.

Indicted for alleged continual sexual abuse of a child under 14 years of age were Juan Domingo Ramirez and Gregg Anthony Tolison.

Nathan Layne Budahelyi-Coker was indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Indicted for delivery of 1/4th ounce or more but less than 5 pounds of marijuana and manufacture or delivery of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 2 or 2A controlled substance was Trayton Lynn Clayton.

Christopher Don Williams was indicted for manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.

Crystal Brook Lee Woodson was indicted for possession of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3 controlled substance in a drug-free zone.

Among those indicted for possessing 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance were Kimberley Beth Tucker, Heidi M. Welch, David Lee Welch, Shannon Jay White, Matthew Gene Holbert, James Robert Nicholson, Leanna Kay Lane Stroup and Jessica Briones-Chavez.

Cristian Alan Cortez was indicted for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance in a drug-free zone.

Indicted for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance were Anthony Glenn Ewton, Shayla Kuhl, Tacka Dashell Gotcher, Ryan Glen Mize, Nanastajia Renee Moore, Jessica Faith Osborne, Patricia Jean Raymon, Toby Scott Sadler, Kenneth Albert Taylor and David Paul Allred.

Lisa Faye Abraham was indicted for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone.