This week, Bexar County Grand Juries handed down 202 felony indictments.
Fernando Rojas is charged in two separate indictments.
- Capital murder of multiple persons: This indictment alleges that on Aug. 3, 2021, Rojas intentionally and knowingly caused the deaths of Sareena Kay Bain and Jonathan Kenneth Fann by shooting them with a deadly weapon (firearm) and that both murders were committed during the same criminal transaction.
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon: This indictment alleges that on Aug. 3, 2021, Rojas used and exhibited a deadly weapon (firearm) and that Rojas intentionally, knowingly and reckless caused bodily injury to Joe Austin Buch by shooting Buch with said deadly weapon.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Criminal Trial Division in the 399th District Court. Capital murder is punishable by life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Tavares Marquette Anderson is charged with murder. The indictment alleges that on July 18, 2021, Anderson intentionally and knowingly caused the death of Malcolm Ray Everett by shooting Everett with a deadly weapon (firearm). This case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Trial Division in the 186th District Court. Murder is a first degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Michael Rene Soto is charged with murder. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 28, 2021, Soto committed or attempted to commit the felony offense of evading arrest with a motor vehicle, and while in the course of or in furtherance of or in immediate flight from the commission or the attempted commission of this offense, Soto committed or attempted to commit an act clearly dangerous to human life, to wit: Soto failed to stop at a stop light and that he crashed into a vehicle in which Pedro Guadarrama Pedroza was an occupant, thereby causing the death of Pedroza. The indictment also alleges that Soto intentionally fled from a person he knew to be a peace officer who was attempting to lawfully and arrest him, and as a direct result of the flight from arrest, Pedroza suffered death as a direct result of Soto failing to stop at a stop light and crashing into a vehicle in which Pedroza was an occupant. This case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Trial Division in the 379th District Court. Murder is a first degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Robert Cocolam is charged with arson and bodily injury. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 31, 2021, Cocolam, with intent to damage and destroy a habitation, did start a fire by igniting combustible material with an open flame, and that Cocolam was reckless about whether the burning would endanger the life of some individual by pouring gasoline on the individual and furniture in the habitation and igniting the gasoline with a cigarette lighter and that Deborah Romo suffered bodily injury as a result of the fire. This case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Trial Division in the 379th District Court. Arson with bodily injury is a first degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Kyle McWilliams is charged with manslaughter. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 13, 2021, McWilliams recklessly caused the death of Carolyn Bullard by failing to take necessary and proper evasive action to avoid driving a motor vehicle into Bullard, that he failed to keep a proper lookout, drove while distracted by an electronic device and drove under the influence of intoxicants (alcohol and Delta-9-THC). It also alleges that McWilliams operated a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated and did by reason of such intoxication caused the death of Bullard by accident or mistake by driving the motor vehicle into Bullard. This case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Trial Division in the 144th District Court. Manslaughter is a second degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. A person charged by indictment is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury or a judge. Because these and potentially other cases are either pending or may be under investigation, we can make no further comment on them.
Copies of indictments may be requested from the Bexar County District Clerk. Information on court settings can be found by searching the case online or directly from the court.