Joshua Escobar has accepted a plea bargain for the March 2023 murder of Sean Paul Velasquez. The agreement, reached on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the 258th District Court in San Jacinto County, was overseen by visiting District Judge Mary Ann Turner. Turner was assigned to the case after Judge Travis Kitchens recused himself.
Under the terms of the plea deal, Escobar will serve a 13-year prison sentence and must complete at least half of it before becoming eligible for parole.
On March 24, 2023, Velasquez was shot to death at a home on the 100 block of Williamson Lane in the Willis area of San Jacinto County. Authorities believe the shooting stemmed from a jealous rage, as Velasquez had been seeing Escobar’s girlfriend while she and Escobar were on a break from their relationship. Both Escobar and Velasquez were 19 years old at the time. Escobar, a resident of the Cypress area in Harris County, fled the scene after the murder, stealing a vehicle belonging to his girlfriend’s father.
Escobar was eventually apprehended and placed on bond while awaiting trial. In addition to the murder charge, he faced unrelated criminal charges in Montgomery County, requiring him to wear an ankle monitor. However, in June 2023, he removed the monitor and once again stole the same vehicle he had initially used to flee.
He was the subject of a statewide alert and was on the run for four days before authorities arrested him in Guadalupe County, Texas, along with his girlfriend.
While some may view the 13-year sentence as lenient, District Attorney Todd Dillon acknowledged that certain factors made prosecution more challenging, though he declined to elaborate.
“This plea bargain will allow the Velasquez family to put this behind them, to hopefully close this chapter of loss and open a new chapter of healing,” Dillon said. “They wanted to move forward, and this was a just result under the circumstances.”
13 years for a murder. Disgraceful Dillion, I along with all my friends will remember this. Why do I think if the victim was a part of your family or someone you knew well, you would have the balls to take this to trial. You suck…
MURDER…shot to death! Eligible for parole in 6-7 years, what????
That is one ugly mofo. Looks like he belongs in an aquarium sucking algae off the glass.
Bull Sh*t
Something must be seriously wrong with the evidence. The DA’s office isn’t doing this because they WANT to
Some people seriously lack discernment. The media is a joke full of half truths. As educated people, we have to decipher all of that and not just be sheep and go with what we see, read, or hear. The prosecutor offered a plea deal. They don’t HAVE to do this. If this was a black and white situation, they would have gone to trial and pushed for the harshest penalty. The fact that they didn’t means that there was stuff that was going to come out in court that would hurt their potential for conviction. It was not a solid case, obviously. The article even says the prosecution stated there were certain factors that made prosecution more challenging. Duh.
Only truth in this case is that there is a life lost and another one ruined. Both families devastated. 19 year olds. KIDS.
Was a very sad day I live nextdoor to where it happened 😔
Hoping karma or justice will finally be served to that pos. I have known Paul and his family for a long time. Nicest people you would ever meet. 6.5 years till parole just adds insult to injury. Justice system failed Sean and his family.