RICHMOND, TX — A jury sentenced Juan Gerardo Sierra-Diaz to 18 years in prison on April 5, 2024, after convicting him of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. The 46-year-old Richmond man was charged after shooting at another man in his truck in 2022.
According to Assistant District Attorney Justin Foster, Meliton Muro-Vazquez and a passenger were travelling in a pick-up truck while towing construction machinery on Cotton Drive near Fairchilds. The defendant drove around Muro-Vazquez in his SUV, cut in front of the vehicle, and blocked the road. Sierra-Diaz approached the two men, who were still seated inside their truck. The defendant produced a handgun and fired a single shot in close proximity to Muro-Vazquez. The bullet grazed the left side of his head, but he survived. Sierra-Diaz fled the scene but eventually returned.
Before the trial date was reached, the victim, Meliton Muro Vazquez, died from an unrelated illness. Before his death he provided a recorded video deposition which was presented to the jury at trial. While rare, the law allows deposition testimony in criminal cases in extreme circumstances.
“Mr. Muro-Vasquez’s deposition allowed his voice to be heard and the defendant’s conduct to be punished,” said prosecutor Justin Foster. “The jury took less than an hour to reach their decision and that speaks volumes about the behavior our community will not tolerate.”
District Attorney Brian Middleton stated, “As prosecutors, we speak for the victims when they cannot speak for themselves. Mr. Muro-Vazquez’s life had value and the defendant was held accountable for denying the victim a life uninterrupted.”
Sierra-Diaz was tried in the 240th District Court before Presiding Judge Surendran Pattel. Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon in this case is a second-degree felony punishable by 2-20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Because a weapon was used to commit the crime, the defendant must serve at least half of his sentence before he can be considered for parole. Assistant District Attorneys Justin Foster and Janie Korah prosecuted the case.
Juan Gerardo Sierra-Diaz
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