A San Benito man who led authorities on a manhunt after he shot a woman in the face was sentenced in Brownsville last week.
Jose Luis Garcia Jr., 36, was sentenced to 40 years in the custody of the Texas Department of Corrections by the 103rd state District Court in Cameron County on Friday. The case was scheduled to go to trial on June 6.
According to court records, Garcia pleaded guilty to aggravated assault date/family/household with weapon. The court issued a lifetime protective order and heard victim impact statements.
Garcia was charged in a one-count indictment filed on May 8, 2019. The document alleged that Garcia shot Kelcee Converse in the head using a shotgun. The charge was enhanced based on Garcia’s April 26, 2007 conviction for aggravated assault against a public servant.
San Benito police officers head back to their unit after they and several other law enforcement agencies searched the area for Jose Luis Garcia, Jr. who was involved in a shooting at his residence yesterday morning in San Benito.
Converse’s father, Maurice Converse, confirmed she was the mother of Garcia’s children in an April 2019 report on Garcia’s arrest. The same report detailed that Converse was shot several times on her body and her face before being transported to a local hospital. She was placed in intensive care in stable condition.
Garcia fled the scene of the shooting and was captured on April 11 by Weslaco Police Department. Officers were able to locate him after responding to a call from a person who made contact with the wanted suspect, according to officials.
Garcia appeared in court in Weslaco before being transferred to Cameron County authorities for a formal arraignment, according to the report. Cameron County Justice of the Peace Pct. 3, Place, 2 David Garza set his bond at $1 million.
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