HOUSTON — A man accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend nearly two dozen times didn't show up for the first day of his murder trial, but law enforcement said Frank DeLeon Jr. was in custody.
His attorneys told the judge that DeLeon was involved in a car crash on his way to court and was at the hospital getting treated for a head injury. Since he was a no-show, he forfeited his bond and was taken to the Harris County Jail once he was released from the hospital.
DeLeon, 19, is charged in the death of 16-year-old Diamond Alvarez, whose body was found in January 2022.
Alvarez's family is hoping he gets the maximum punishment, which prosecutors said if convicted, he could face up to life in prison.
DeLeon has a bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning but it's unclear if he will be there and when his murder trial will pick back up.
What happened the night of the shooting
It was initially reported that Alvarez left her home on Tuesday, Jan. 11, to take her dog for a walk. Around 9:30 p.m., her family members heard several gunshots. When the family dog showed up without Alvarez, they knew something was terribly wrong.
The family went to search for her and that's when they found her shot multiple times in the 15400 block of Park Manor Street, which is near South Post Oak and Beltway 8.
"My son found her," Alvarez's mother, Anna Machado, said. "I tried so hard to keep her alive. I couldn't, I couldn't."
During an investigation, detectives learned Alvarez had agreed to meet DeLeon in their neighborhood park after she found out he was in another relationship. DeLeon was arrested days after the shooting and posted a $250,000 bond before being arrested again for violating his bond conditions. He was then granted bond again.
“I am mentally exhausted, physically, and emotionally. I’m going crazy here. I need him in jail and I need justice for my daughter. It’s not for us, it’s for my daughter, Diamond. I need her to rest in peace,” said Anna Machado, Diamond’s mother.
Diamond's stepfather, Tito Mozzygamba, said Alvarez was a good kid and a straight-A student who loved to play volleyball and basketball. She had dreams of becoming a cosmetologist. She attended Madison High School in the Houston Independent School District.