San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Indictments include suspect in shooting death of Beyoncé’s cousin
A woman accused of killing her boyfriend, a local rapper and Beyoncé’s cousin, has been indicted on a murder charge.
The case against Sasha Skare, 21, was among more than 260 felony indictments handed down by Bexar County grand juries last week. Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said jurors issued true bills of indictment in 2,042 cases.
Skare allegedly shot and killed Martell “Kardone” Derouen on Jan. 22, according to her indictment. Derouen was 34 years old.
Police got a call on Jan. 28 that Derouen had not been heard from in several days.
Officers went around noon to The Towers apartments at 16735 La Cantera Parkway, where they found Derouen dead in his apartment with a gunshot wound.
Derouen’s estranged wife at one point told police he had been at living with Skare, his new girlfriend, an affidavit said.
A witness heard Skare and Derouen arguing until he told her to get out and the apartment door slammed shut, the affidavit said. The witness then heard Skare pounding on the door, followed by a gunshot.
Skare, who was arrested Feb. 6, remains in Bexar County Jail with bail set at $125,000.
The case is being prosecuted by the family violence division. Murder is a first-degree felony punishable felony punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
In a separate case, a grand jury indicted Abdi Ali Shidad in the killing of two women that occurred on Feb. 14, just before the winter freeze that left thousands without power.
Investigators said Shidad shot the women at the Cottage Creek apartments in the 4800 block of Ray Bon Drive.
Officers found the victims, Anastasia Simms and Leah Anders, at 12:30 a.m. while responding to a 911 call for a shooting. They were already dead when the officers arrived, police said.
Shidad was arrested at the scene.
He has been indicted on a charge of capital murder. In addition, the grand jury indicted him on a charge of knowingly and recklessly causing bodily injury to Remus Blair, who was also found shot alongside Simms and Anders.
Capital murder is punishable by life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Shidad, 22, remains in jail with bail set at $1,000,000.
Jurors also indicted two brothers, Sijifredo and Wilfredo Montemayor, each on a charge of attempted capital murder of a police officer.
The two are accused of being involved in the Feb. 3 shooting of Balcones Heights police Sgt. Joey
Sepulveda, an 18-year veteran of the force.
Sepulveda was responding to a report that two men, identified as suspects in a burglary at the SOL Apartments, 6945 W. Interstate 10, were sitting in a white pickup on the property, Balcones Heights police said.
Sepulveda approached the brothers, who were in a white pickup, and started talking to them. He drew his stun gun and ordered them out of the vehicle after they repeatedly disregarded his commands, Balcones Heights police said.
Wilfredo Montemayor began shooting, investigators said, hitting Sepulveda in the neck.
Sepulveda’s partner, officer Edgard Ortiz, returned fire, injuring Sijifredo Montemayor, investigators said. The brothers then fled the scene.
Sijifredo Montemayor, 30, was arrested the next day by Tamaulipas State Police in Mexico. Wilfredo Montemayor, 28, was arrested three days later while walking along Loop 410 near Perrin Beitel Road on the Northeast Side.
Ortiz is credited with saving Sepulveda’s life after he rushed him to an area hospital. Sepulveda was released from San Antonio Military Medical Center after surgery.
Both brothers remain at the Bexar County Jail. Wilfredo Montemayor’s bail totals $1,020,000, but he was remanded without bond for violating his parole on a conviction of possession of a controlled substance. Sijifredo Montemayor’s bail is set at $500,000.
Attempted capital murder of a police officer is a first-degree felony. The punishment ranges from five to 99 years or life in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Also among the indictments were two cases of intoxication manslaughter.
In the first case, Christian Alexis Cazares, 24, is accused of drunken driving and hitting and killing Michael William King on Nov. 13.
King, 64, who was homeless, was asleep under a bridge at the Vance Jackson Road and Northwest Loop 410 intersection, San
Antonio police said.
Reports show that Cazares failed to make a complete left turn and ended up jumping the curb, hitting a concrete wall and then running over King.
The second case occurred a week later, on Nov. 20. Robert Collett Jr., 38, is accused of driving a pickup while drunk around 1:30 a.m. in the 16500 block of U.S. 281 North, near Brook Hollow.
Police said Collett was speeding when he drove into the back of a sedan, killing Sylvia Santoy, 61.
Intoxication manslaughter is a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.