A disturbance unfolded in a Texas courtroom during the trial of 19-year-old Frank DeLeon Jr., who is accused of the murder of 16-year-old Diamond Alvarez, who was shot 22 times in January 2022.
On the second day of the trial, after giving a victim impact statement, Alvarez’s mother, Anna Machado, attempted to approach the accused, but was stopped by a bailiff. Alvarez’s uncle then rushed towards DeLeon and physically confronted him. Court employees intervened, and DeLeon was moved to a corner.
The situation escalated further as DeLeon’s mother pushed Machado, attempting to prevent her from reaching her relative. Judge Hazel B. Jones adjourned the court once the families were separated.
Machado, who had rushed to the scene upon hearing gunshots on the day of the incident in January 2022, had tried to perform CPR on her daughter but was unsuccessful. DeLeon was arrested when he was 17.
DeLeon accepted a plea deal, facing 45 years in prison, with the possibility of parole halfway through his sentence.
Following the courtroom disturbance, Machado expressed her remorse for the incident, stating that her actions were wrong and driven by her deep desire to have her daughter back. She accused DeLeon of showing no remorse during the trial and claimed he was smiling during her testimony.
Alvarez’s uncle was detained and handcuffed, though it remains unclear whether he faced charges for the incident. The tragic incident leading to the trial had been triggered by the end of the couple’s relationship, as Alvarez had discovered DeLeon’s involvement with another girl.
DeLeon’s first appearance in court had been delayed by a day due to an ATV crash with his uncle, which resulted in a head injury and necessitated his hospital evaluation.
