Diamond Alvarez: Man who shot 16-year-old sentenced to 45 years
Shooter of 16-year-old girlfriend sentenced after chaotic courtroom clash
The man who shot his 16-year-old girlfriend more than 20 times was sentenced, amidst a tumultuous court hearing interrupted by the victim's family members rushing the defense at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse, as reported by Fox 26's Damali Keith.
HOUSTON - The man who shot his 16-year-old girlfriend more than 20 times has been sentenced on Thursday. The court hearing this week was interrupted after several of the victim's family members rushed the defendant. On Thursday, Frank DeLeon, who was 17 in January 2022 when he shot Diamond Alvarez, was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Because of the chaos in the courtroom on Tuesday, the judge made big changes today and more than a dozen deputies packed the sentencing hearing.
"My Diamond got her justice," cries Anna Machado but the mourning mom nor her family members were in the courtroom when DeLeon was sentenced because they say they were receiving threats.
"I have to watch my back. I can't go nowhere because we're scared," Machado says.
RELATED: Diamond Alvarez murder suspect Frank DeLeon Jr. attacked during court appearance
After Tuesday's turmoil in court when Machado went after DeLeon, attempting to attack him, then several of her family members followed, Judge Hazel Jones, did not allow recording in the court for the sentencing hearing and more than 15 armed deputies were guarding the hallway and courtroom.
"I was hurt but then angry that he's been smiling, making fun of me for a year and nine months through court," Machado says while wiping tears.
DeLeon is sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting his 16-year-old girlfriend Diamond Alvarez nearly two dozen times in January of last year when she found out he was cheating, and she met up with DeLeon at a neighborhood park, telling her family she was going to walk the dog.
"She was gone for maybe about 20 minutes before the family at Diamond's house heard 22 gunshots. The dog, Peanut, came back covered in Diamond's blood," says Prosecutor Steve Walsh.
"This defendant clearly had to reload. It's overkill and the sentence reflects the brutality of this young man's crime," adds Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
The threats against the Alvarez family are being investigated. "At this time what the family continues to ask for is for there to be police presence 24 hours a day because they want to move on. We don't want to see another tragedy come out of an already tragic situation," says FIEL Executive Director Cesar Espinosa.
"I call for no retaliation. I call for no vengeance. I call for peace," says Diamond's aunt Blanca Mejia.
DA Ogg says domestic violence charges are the single most common crime filed in Harris County with over 15,000 each year. She says if you know a victim of intimate partner violence, encourage them to report it. If they don't, she hopes you will.