A courtroom brawl broke out in Texas Tuesday between the family of a 16-year-old Texas girl who was shot in the back 22 times and the murder suspect who was accepting a plea deal.
Frank DeLeon Jr. was appearing in court in Houston to plead guilty in the case of the 2022 fatal shooting of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend, Diamond Alvarez.
The fight erupted after Alvarez's mother, Anna Machado, called DeLeon a "monster" during her victim impact statement, FOX26 Houston reported.
Video from the courtroom obtained by the local station shows Machado leaving the stand and walking toward DeLeon when a bailiff restrains her.
Another family member is then seen charging at DeLeon and throwing a flurry of punches, and both men end up on the ground. Machado’s mother and DeLeon’s mother were also involved in a scuffle. Court security intervened and separated the families.
Machado later addressed the brawl, telling reporters that DeLeon had laughed in her face and that her daughter’s life was not a joke, KHOU-TV reported.
"He's a monster in my eyes. That would never change," Machado said. "Did he look remorseful at all? No. He was laughing at my face … it's a joke. A life is not a joke. My daughter's not a joke."
Machado also apologized for the incident.
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"That was wrong of me. That was wrong of us because we’re not monsters," she said. "But it’s so much hate because I want my daughter back. And what he did was horrible. Whatever happened, that was wrong of us, and I apologize for that. I apologize to the judge and I apologize to them."
Alvarez was killed in January 2022 after learning DeLeon was having a romantic relationship with another girl and agreeing to meet him at a park in the 5100 block of Markwood Lane near her home, according to police. The teen was walking her dog when she was killed.
DeLeon will return to court Thursday for sentencing. As part of his plea deal, DeLeon will have to serve half of his 45-year sentence before being eligible for parole.
