An Humble teen who killed his mother in 2022 then put her body in the trunk of the family car to flee Houston pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced this week to 40 years in prison, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This is an awful tragedy for this family,” Ogg said. “It was important that this defendant took responsibility for what he did, and now he will spend decades in prison for his actions.”

Tyler Roenz, 19, killed his mother, 49-year-old Michelle Roenz, while the two were at home the morning of Oct. 13, 2022. He then put her body in the trunk of the family car, a black Mazda, and drove north. A family member arriving at the house after Roenz left suspected foul play and called the Harris County Sheriff’s Office about the mother and son being missing with the car.

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A Spring Branch man was sentenced to two life sentences Wednesday for killing a man he knew, then killing the man’s girlfriend, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This was an ambush, plain and simple, and it was important to the family and to our community that we bring the people who were responsible to justice,” Ogg said. “What happened to this young couple is simply unforgivable, and we will continue working to get justice for them and their families.”

Herbert James Simon, 42, was sentenced by state District Judge Andrea Beall after being convicted of murder and aggravated kidnapping by a jury in a five-day trial.

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A serial rapist who assaulted at least four women in 2021 was sentenced this week to 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This man is a true predator who planned, plotted and schemed to rob and rape women, and this prison sentence ensures that he will be behind bars for decades,” Ogg said. “We are so very proud of the victims who came forward in this case and in similar cases. It’s hard to do, but it’s so important.”

Morris “Mack” Lamour Holton III, 39, was convicted by a jury earlier this month of aggravated sexual assault for raping a woman in 2021. During the punishment phase, jurors also heard about three other victims. Holton was formally sentenced on Monday after several victim impact statements.

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Earlier today, one of our employees was held against her will by a man with a knife who apparently escaped from official custody. We are thankful and grateful that she was not physically harmed during this incident.                 

The general public should be on heightened alert that this man has yet to be apprehended, but we are confident that law enforcement will be able to find and apprehend the suspect.

Once he is arrested, we expect to prosecute this defendant and seek justice in this case.

—Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg

The first of two brothers accused of a days-long crime spree in 2021 that left one man dead and another injured was sentenced Thursday to life in prison, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“Connecting online with strangers to buy and sell things at in-person meetups has become such an integral part of our culture that thieves and criminals are using the process to take advantage of innocent people,” Ogg said. “We have to remember to stay vigilant and try to have safeguards in place, even for transactions that come together quickly or happen late at night.”

Alexander Salvador Ordonez, 22, was sentenced to life in prison by a judge after a five-day trial in which a jury convicted him of murder for killing 19-year-old Cameron B. Stevens at a Cypress Station apartment complex on Feb. 6, 2021.

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A 42-year-old man was sentenced this week to 50 years in prison for killing his wife at a relative’s home in Spring in 2020, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“No child should lose their mother to domestic violence, and that is why we take any case of violence against women so seriously,” Ogg said. “We know that violence escalates, like in this case, where the defendant committed at least two other assaults before killing an intimate partner.”

Ralph Leroy Cooper pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced Wednesday by a judge for fatally shooting 43-year-old Rhonda Rochelle Williams just before 9 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2020.

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A Houston woman who killed a friend and kidnapped the victim’s newborn baby was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Tuesday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This was a premeditated murder and kidnapping that should have never happened,” Ogg said. “I wish there was a way to undo all the harm and pain that this defendant inflicted on others, but all we can do is work to ensure that she spends decades in prison for her actions.”

Erika Miranda-Alvarez, 35, pleaded guilty to murder for fatally stabbing 33-year-old Carolina Flores-Miranda and kidnapping the woman’s newborn baby on Dec. 19, 2017.

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A Houston man was sentenced to 60 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to murder for gunning down two men with an assault rifle while he was riding in the back of a pickup in 2022, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This was more than just a premeditated act of gun violence — this defendant’s every intention was to hurt, maim and kill, and now two families will spend the rest of their lives in mourning,” Ogg said. “Prosecutors with our Homicide Division worked to get justice for these families, and this defendant will spend decades in prison.”

Kurt Whitten, 21, was facing life in prison without parole if convicted of capital murder when he pleaded guilty to murder earlier this month for killing 20-year-old Jeremiah Joshua Ponce and 26-year-old Thomas Anthony Alvarado on July 27, 2022.

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A 52-year-old homeless man was sentenced to 50 years in prison this week for raping a homeless woman in downtown Houston in 2021, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This defendant is not someone who made a mistake and needs a second chance. He has a clear history of repeatedly hurting people,” Ogg said. “Cases like this are the reason we have specialized divisions — our prosecutors in the Adult Sex Crimes Division are able to secure justice for vulnerable victims like this.”

Harold James Lowdins was convicted by a jury of raping a 59-year-old homeless woman at knifepoint under the Southwest Freeway overpass near a gas station in the 2000 block of Runnels on Dec. 17, 2021.

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