Forty-year sentence after 7-year ditch
March 1, after one year in county jail following a seven-year ditch from the long arm of an arrest warrant, the local DA’s office announced that long-time absconder Henrique Alberto Rivas, 42, of Beaumont, was found guilty of aggravated robbery and sentenced to a term of 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in front of Judge Raquel West of the Jefferson County 252nd Criminal District Court.
Rivas was convicted of “using a firearm to place the victim in fear,” the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office described. The office of District Attorney Keith Giblin secured a conviction for a crime that occurred in April 2015 when Rivas walked up to a man gardening at his home and took his wallet at gunpoint. Rivas is suspected in at least two other aggravated robberies committed by a person wearing similar clothing.
“One of these robberies involved the taking of a truck that Henrique Rivas was seen operating early the next morning,” according to the prosecutor’s office. “When he was confronted by a Beaumont police officer, Henrique Rivas fled the scene.”
Investigators believe Rivas not only fled the area, but the entire country – and spent at least a portion of his seven years in Mexico while on in the lam.
Rivas was arrested in March 2022. This March, a jury found Rivas guilty of the crime; one hour later, the same jury returned with the multi-decade prison sentence.
“We are pleased with the swift guilt and punishment verdicts of the jury,” prosecutor Phillip Smith said. “Following a lengthy eight-year wait for justice, the (victim’s) family has been given closure to this terrible crime.”
Claim closes competition
Academic UIL competitors from middle schools throughout Southeast Texas were released early from the Beaumont ISD Smith Middle School host campus on March 2, after harrowing moments that had students texting parents that a “suspected shooter” was possibly lurking in the halls.
“During today’s UIL Competition at Smith Middle School, there was a threat made that was deemed non-credible,” parents were later informed. “At this time, all students are safe and accounted for and are returning to their home campuses.”
No other information regarding the incident has been released as of press time.
Elderly Erderly arrested for Walmart death
The 79-year-old driver of a vehicle that struck and killed an 80-year-old man at the front door of a Jasper area Walmart on March 5 has been arrested, reported KJAS.com, which also details the senior citizen was released the following day on bail.
The driver of a vehicle, identified by the Jasper Police Department as 79-year-old Charles Erderly, of Call, was charged with criminally negligent homicide related to the death of Frank Wegner, 80, of Brookeland. Bond was set at $7,500.
According to witness testimony and police reports, Wegner was in the crosswalk at the Walmart entrance to the store when Erderly struck the pedestrian with his 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. When emergency crews arrived about noon, Wegner was still trapped under the Erderly’s vehicle.
Police and bystanders ultimately utilized a jack to free Wegner from the SUV’s undercarriage; he was pronounced dead at the scene by Jasper County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace Raymond Hopson.
JPD Capt. Mike Poindexter reported samples of blood were taken from Erderly at Jasper Memorial Hospital and officers are waiting on the results of toxicology tests as the investigation into the incident continues.
KJAS.com also reported Erderly, then 74, was involved in another major accident that occurred in July 2018 involving his Chevrolet SUV and a motorcycle on U.S. 96 at the entrance to Gateway Tabernacle Church, south of Kirbyville.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) reported Erderly was leaving the church parking lot when he pulled out in front of a 2013 Harley Davidson Motorcycle, being operated by Bradley Arnold, 24, of Kirbyville.
Arnold was flown by medical helicopter to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont with serious injuries.
Neighborhood nuisance nabbed
The Beaumont Police Department (BPD) arrested a local man after warrants were issued for obscenity and harassment.
March 3, BPD’s Special Crimes Unit arrested Julius R. Williams, 47, of Beaumont, on arrest warrants issued by Judge Ben Collins. He was also charged with resisting search and possession of a controlled substance. His bond was set at $10,000 for obscenity and harassment.
BPD reported they have recently received numerous complaints about some disturbing and alarming behavior of Williams in the Calder Terrace neighborhood of Beaumont. Williams roamed the streets all hours of the day and night, harassing neighbors, following females as they walk the neighborhood, and has even approached and propositioned them while showing them obscene pictures on his phone.
Also, he had been seen walking onto the campus of Sallie Curtis Elementary during school hours while children were on the playground.
Crank call reveals crank drug
A Vidor man was arrested March 3 for possessing drugs and a firearm, reported Police Chief Rod Carroll.
In a press release, Carroll stated that, at 12:15 a.m., the Vidor Police Department responded to several 911 hang-up calls in the area of 690 N. Main St. An individual made several 911 calls and would hang up each time. Carroll noted the dispatcher was able to locate the origination location from the phone’s GPS coordinates.
After arriving at the address, officers confronted an individual, Abiyan Pondre Eaglin, 46, outside the business. Dispatch was able to call back to the cell phone verifying it was the phone that was calling 911.
During the investigation, officers learned that Eaglin was in possession of marijuana, methamphetamine and a firearm; he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm. Eaglin has a felony conviction for injury to a child from Denton County in 2020.
Eaglin was transported to the Orange County Correctional Facility to await bond.
Federal time awarded to Food Basket robber
A Beaumont man has been sentenced to serve 117 months in a federal prison for a strong-arm robbery that took place in 2021 at a Beaumont convenience store.
According to the office of Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston, 21-year-old Jamar Byars, also known as Jamar Limbrick, pleaded guilty on April 25, 2022, to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 117 months in federal prison this past week by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to court documents, on Oct. 14, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a call regarding an armed robbery at the Food Basket located on North 4th Street in Beaumont. An assailant, later identified as Byars, selected an item and brought it to the register.
Byars then pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk hesitated; and Byars responded by striking the clerk in the head with the pistol twice. Byars then removed the money from the register and fled the scene.
Byars was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 5, 2022.
Man arrested in March 4 homicide
A 28-year-old man was arrested March 8 in connection with the murder that occurred last week.
The Beaumont Police Department (BPD), reported officers located Kalin Jamaal Hicks of Beaumont, for the murder of Byron Bluitt, 58, also of Beaumont.
March 4, BPD responded an apartment in the 1800 block of North Street about 7:09 p.m. in reference to a deceased person.
Detectives began investigating and results from a March 7 autopsy on Bluitt indicated the manner of death was a homicide.
Within 12 hours of the case being upgraded to a homicide, detectives from BPD’s Person’s Unit developed a suspect and obtain a murder warrant on Hicks.
The case is still under investigation and anyone with additional information is asked to call BPD at (409) 832-1234.
This was the city’s second homicide of 2023.
Driver arrested after crash
A suspected drunk driver was arrested in connection with a series of crashes near Winnie that temporarily shut down Interstate 10 eastbound for several hours the weekend of March 5.
Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne reported Adrian Magana was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to stop and give information. No bond amount has been confirmed.
Hawthorne stated the first of several crashes caused by Magana occurred near Mile Marker 819, when, at about 6 a.m., it was reported an alleged drunk driver hit the back of an 18-wheeler.
A Chambers County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) investigator was working the accident when a separate 18-wheeler ran into the back of another 18-wheeler. One person was injured and flown to a local hospital with serious injuries.
CCSO reported there was another multi-vehicle accident that followed the second incident.
The interstate was shut down and traffic detoured to the service road as the interstate remained closed throughout the day.
A-A-Ron, AR pistol, and assorted accomplices apprehended
A traffic stop by the Beaumont Police Department (BPD) resulted in the arrest of four men on March 8, along with the confiscation of weed and weapons.
According to BPD, a patrol officer made the traffic stop in the 4600 block of Highland Drive about 1:15 a.m. Officers found an AR-style pistol and a pair of handguns, along with marijuana. One of the handguns was reported stolen, according to BPD.
All four men in the vehicle were arrested and transported to the Jefferson County Jail. Christopher Ooten, 21, was charged for theft of firearm, unlawfully carrying a weapon and possession of marijuana.
Aaron Hill, 20, Zachary Broussard Jr., 18, and Jaden Horde, 19, were each charged for unlawfully carrying a weapon and possession of marijuana.
LPD: Déjà vu
The Lumberton Police Department arrested a few people on misdemeanor charges, but the theme remains the same for one suspect.
March 6, Joseph E. McDaniel, 18, was arrested for failure to identify as fugitive with intent to give false information (Class A). He was also arrested on March 1 and 3 for the same charge.
March 4, Virginia Christine Cooper, 49, and Jacob Casey Boyd, 35, were each arrested for possession of a controlled substance, Penalty Group 3, 28 grams or less (Class A) and for possession of marijuana, less than 2 ounces (Class B).
March 1, Michael John Clark, 45, was arrested for assault (Class A).
Feb. 28, Everett Ervin Pickering Jr. 43, was arrested for assault (Class A).