Pair indicted in slaying of woman; 2 charged in jail killing
A pair accused of killing a woman and attempting to cover it up, and two reputed gang members accused of stabbing a man to death in the Bexar County jail are among several people indicted last week.
Overall, 329 felony indictments were handed down by Bexar County grand juries, according to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
In one case, Felix Hernandez, 31, and Stacy Mae Lynn Page, 27, were indicted on counts of murder and engaging in organized criminal activity.
San Antonio police said Hernandez shot and killed Victoria Stampley, 42, on Jan. 22 in the Westfort neighborhood after he and Page had given Stampley a ride to her home, according to an affidavit supporting their arrests. Stampley and Hernandez got into a scuffle as she refused to leave the car, and he shot her once during the fight.
Afterward, Hernandez and Page attempted to cover up the incident by driving to a car wash where they cleaned the blood from the car, prosecutors allege. They left Stampley’s body in the 200 block of Post Avenue where she was discovered about 7 a.m., after police already searched the scene earlier that morning in response to reports of gunfire.
The indictment also alleges that the pair concealed evidence, including a handgun and human blood.
Their case is being held in the 379th District Court.
Murder is a first-degree felony, punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Accused while jailed
Brandon Lerma, 28, and Ernest Tavera, 50, both inmates in the Bexar County jail at the time of their recently alleged offenses, are charged in multicount indictments with murder and engaging in organized criminal activity.
On Jan. 30, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Lerma and Tavera defeated the locking mechanism to their cell and ambushed Vincent Garcia, 40, stabbing him several times with a shiv during what initially appeared to be a brawl.
Their case is being heard in the 227th District Court.
In an unrelated case, a man
awaiting trial in the killing of a sheriff ’s office police dog in 2019 was charged in two indictments with possession of a deadly weapon in a penal institution.
Matthew Mireles, 41, allegedly had possession of a flat metal shank on Feb. 9 while he was at the Bexar County jail, according to the indictment.
Mireles was in jail stemming from an incident on Jan. 25, 2019, in which prosecutors said that he led authorities on a chase through multiple counties after he evaded an attempt by Karnes City police to pull him over. He had several warrants out for his arrest.
Once in Bexar County, he caused an accident when he left his car near Loop 1604 and Texas 151 and began shooting at deputies. During the confrontation with authorities, Chucky, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, was fatally shot.
Mireles’ cases are being heard in the 175th District Court. The new charges are third-degree felonies, punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Crimes against kids
A husband and wife named in multiple indictments issued last week are accused of sexually assaulting at least one child under 6 years old.
Dezaraie Lynn Mrazek and Jose Tovar, both 31, were indicted on counts of super aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography. Mrazek also was indicted on counts of bestiality involving a dog and possession or promotion of lewd visual material of a child.
Tovar is accused of offering his wife gifts in exchange for her finding children for him to sexually assault under the guise of babysitting, according to Texas troopers. The case was discovered when Tovar allegedly sent a sexually explicit photo of a child to a Montgomery County detective in February.
While at the Bexar County jail, Tovar told a detective that he and Mrazek looked at child pornography every morning for the past 10 years.
Their cases will be tried in the 399th District Court. Super aggravated sexual assault of a child is a punishable by 25 to 99 years or life in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
In a separate case, Lex Luis Bazan, 24, is charged in a two-count indictment with sexual assault of a child stemming from an incident that occurred on March 1, 2021. Bazan was an area cheer coach accused of forcing a 16-yearold girl into sexual encounters.
He was caught trying to deliver a contraceptive pill to her while she was at La Vernia High School in October 2021.
The case is being heard in the 226th District Court. Sexual assault of a child is a second-degree felony, punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.