HOUSTON, Texas – A brawl broke out inside the courtroom Tuesday morning after the sentencing of the man who fatally shot a 16-year-old girl 22 times in 2022.
The brawl came after a Harris County Judge offered 19-year-old Frank Deleon Jr. a plea deal of 45 years in prison, which he accepted.
During the victim impact statements, when 16-year-old Diamond Alvarez’s mother was finished speaking, video shows her walking toward Deleon with her hands raised. An officer immediately grabs her before she can reach Deleon. At that same moment, a man (assumed to be a family member of Alverez) jumps over a desk and attacks Deleon.
Deleon, who was sitting in a chair behind a table wearing an orange jumpsuit with a cast on his arm, was seen jumping up from his chair before officers grabbed the man and threw him on the ground.
A second woman is seen running from the back of the courtroom, pushing one of the attorneys before she is tackled by officers. It’s not clear who the woman was.
It took several officers to calm the scene and clear the courtroom.
The brawl stemmed from what could have been years of the family fighting for justice for Alvarez.
On Jan. 11, 2022 police said Deleon shot Alveraz at a park in the the 15400 block of Park Manor.
Police said they believe Alvarez and Deleon were involved in a love triangle with another teen. When Alvarez allegedly found out, she agreed to meet with Deleon. The family said she went to walk their dog when they heard gunshots and found her body in a field with 22 bullet wounds.
Deleon was arrested six days after the shooting but was released a day later after posting a $250,000 bond. He was arrested a second time in April 2022 for violating his bond conditions and then released again.
Deleon’s murder trial was set to begin Monday, but was delayed when his attorneys said he got into a car accident, sustaining injuries. Deleon was picked up by officers from Ben Taub hospital Monday for failure to appear in court. On Tuesday, a judge was supposed to have a bond hearing but Deleon and his attorney plead guilty to the charges and accepted a plea deal of 45 years.
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Help is also available immediately if you need it through the following numbers:
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- National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799−7233
- If you are in immediate danger, call 911.