By GARY KENT

Bee-Picayune staff

Bee County Grand Jury members returned a first degree felony indictment against a 36-year-old Beeville man when they met for their September session last Thursday.

The defendant, Alberto Hernandez Esparza, was charged with aggravated assault, threat, with a deadly weapon in connection with an incident that allegedly happened on June 19.

The charge was enhanced to a first degree felony because Esparza had a previous felony conviction on Oct. 23, 1996, in Victoria County on a charge of burglary of a habitation.

Investigating officer Detective Sam Abrigo of the Beeville Police Department confirmed that Esparza was implicated in an incident in which he was reported to have threatened a man with a knife and said, “I’m going to kill you.”

First degree felonies are punishable by a prison term of from five to 99 years or life and a fine of as much as $10,000.

Bond was set at $5,000 by District Judge Joel Johnson.

Grand jurors also returned a two-count indictment against Romel Camacho on charged of attempted aggravated sexual assault and attempted indecency with a child by contact in connection with a July 15, 2007, incident.

Both counts were enhanced to a punishment range of from 25-99 years or life in prison because the defendant had previous felony convictions.

According to BPD investigators, Camacho touched the buttocks of a female victim on the date mentioned in the indictment.

The enhancement of the punishment range was based on two previous convictions including one on Oct. 15, 1992, in Bee County on a charge of burglary.

The second felony conviction was on a charge of lewd or lascivious molestation on Oct. 3, 2001, in a district court in Clay County, Fla.

Bond was $15,000.

Others indicted last week included:

•Ron Garrett Mortenson in a two-count indictment on charges of delivery of a controlled substance, cocaine, one-four grams in a drug-free zone and on a charge of delivery of a controlled substance, cocaine, less than one gram in a drug-free zone.

The first count of the indictment was a second degree felony punishable by a prison term of from two to 20 years and a fine of as much as $10,000.

The second count of the indictment was a third degree felony punishable by a prison term of from two to ten years and a fine of as much as $10,000.

Bee County Sheriff’s Office investigators alleged that Mortenson delivered the drugs to an undercover officer on June 7 and Aug. 1, 2006. The drug-free zone listed for both counts was said to be within 1,000 feet of the Skidmore-Tynan Independent School District property at 213 Walton St. in Skidmore.

Bond was $5,000.

•Joseph Barrera in a four-count indictment that included two counts of assault against a public servant and two counts of harassment of a public servant, all enhanced to second degree felonies.

Beeville police accused the defendant of kicking an officer in the face and head butting a Bee County jailer in the mouth as they tried to book him into the county jail on June 8.

The indictment also claimed that Barrera spat on two officers who were assisting in the arrest.

The charges were enhanced because Barrera had a previous conviction on a charge of arson on Oct. 22, 1998, in juvenile court and he was sent to the Texas Youth Commission for the offense.

Bond was $12,000.

Editor’s note: Due to a lack of space, additional indictments will be published in the Saturday, Oct. 4, edition of the Bee-Picayune.

•James Robert Castillo in a three-count indictment on two charges of delivery of a controlled substance, cocaine, less than one gram in a drug-free zone and one charge of delivery of a controlled substance, cocaine, less than one gram.

The two charges filed for delivering the narcotic in a drug-free zone were third degree felonies and the charge that did not involve a drug-free zone was a state jail felony.

State jail felonies are punishable by a term of from six months to two years in a state jail facility and a fine of as much as $10,000.

According to BPD officers, the transactions took place on Aug. 25 and 29 and on Sept. 6, all during 2007.

Police claimed that the first transaction took place within 1,000 feet of the A.C. Jones High School campus at 1902 N. Adams St. and the third offense occurred within 1,000 feet of a City of Beeville playground at FM 351 and Jose Ramos Lane.

Bond was $10,000.

•Patrick Conley in a two-count indictment on charges of possession of a prohibited item in a correctional facility and possession of a prohibited substance in a correctional facility.

There was no indication in the indictment regarding the degree of felony of the first count. The second count of the indictment was enhanced to a third degree felony.

According to investigators with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the defendant had a cellular phone and marijuana in his possession on June 22 while incarcerated at the William G. McConnell Unit in Bee County.

The enhancement portion of the indictment was approved because the defendant had previous felony convictions on a charge of attempted burglary of a habitation on July 17, 1989, in Travis County, on a charge of burglary of a habitation on Dec. 7, 1999, in Harris County and on April 14, 2003, on a charge of burglary of a habitation in Travis County.

Bond was $5,000.

•Deshane Harmon in a two-count indictment on charges of possession of a prohibited item in a correctional facility and possession of a prohibited substance in a correctional facility.

Both offenses allegedly took place on June 22 at the McConnell Unit but the severity of the first count was not included in the indictment.

The second count was enhanced to a third degree felony.

According to TDCJ investigators, Harmon had a cellular phone and marijuana in his possession on the date of the offense.

The enhancement portion of the indictment was based on two previous felony convictions on March 19, 2002, in Harris County. Both convictions were on charges of aggravated robbery.

Bond was $5,000.

•Christopher John Pierce on a charge of possession of a prohibited item in a correctional facility, enhanced to a third degree felony.

TDCJ officials alleged that Pierce had a cellular phone while incarcerated at the McConnell Unit on June 14, 2007.

The charge was enhanced because Pierce had previous felony convictions all on Jan. 15, 1993, on charges of forgery, burglary of a building and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in Harris county.

Bond was $5,000.

•Mikel Oneal on a charge of possession of a prohibited substance in a correctional facility.

State investigators alleged that the defendant had marijuana in his possession at the McConnell Unit on April 6.

The charge was enhanced to a third degree felony because Oneal had previous felony convictions on charges of sexual performance of a child, possession and promotion of child pornography and aggravated sexual assault of a child all on April 19, 2004, in Grayson County.

Bond was $5,000.

•Lavette Lewis on a charge of providing a prohibited substance in correctional facility.

TDCJ officials accused Lewis of providing 24 bags of loose tobacco to an inmate at the McConnell Unit on April 23.

The severity of the charge was not included in the indictment.

Bond was $5,000.

•Fernando Cuellar on a charge of assault against a public servant, a third degree felony.

Deputies alleged that Cuellar choked a deputy on July 26 as the deputy was trying to book him into custody at the Bee County Jail.

Bond was $1,000.

•John D. Sandoval on a charge of driving while intoxicated, a third degree felony.

Highway Patrol Trooper Gillermo Mora filed the charge in connection with a Feb. 2 incident in which the defendant allegedly was operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.

According to the indictment, Sandoval had previous DWI convictions on March 29, 1988, and on Jan. 10, 1989, both in San Patricio County.

Bond was $5,000.

•Annie Marie Treviño on a charge of forgery, passing, five counts.

The offense is a state jail felony.

According to BPD investigators, the defendant cashed five checks on the account of a Beeville man at local businesses on April 20 and 21.

Bond was $10,000.

•Laurie Dunn Walker on a charge of forgery, passing, seven counts, a state jail felony.

Investigators charged her with using the account of a local man to make seven transactions at local businesses between Feb. 3 and 11.

Bond was $5,000.

•Ashley Ann Rivas on a charge of theft by check, 44 counts with aggregated amounts totaling between $1,500 and $20,000.

The offense is a state jail felony.

The indictment shows that investigators suspect the defendant of cashing checks on an account in her own name on 44 occasions between June 13 and Sept. 4, 2007.

Bond was $5,000.

•Roger T. Gutierrez on a charge of driving while intoxicated with a passenger under the age of 15 in the vehicle, two counts.

According to Highway Patrol Trooper Shawn Stephenson, the defendant operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance on June 22 and that two children under the age of 15 were in the vehicle with him at the time.

Bond was $1,500.

•Rodolfo Rosalez on a charge of theft, $1,500-$20,000, a state jail felony.

Investigators alleged that Rosalez took a trailer from a local man on July 21, 2006, without his permission.

Bond was $1,000.