Plea accepted in murder case

One of four people arrested in the death of Zavien Hysquierdo, 17, accepted a plea agreement in Calhoun County District Court Thursday, Nov. 14.

Frank Anthony Sandoval Jr., 17 at the time of the shooting, accepted a plea for 30 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 

The agreement included that Sandoval write a letter to the family of Hysquierdo that explained the events of the murder and his contrition for the crime.

Sandoval was indicted by the Calhoun County Grand Jury on March 7. The grand jury found that on Jan. 13:

That Sandoval did intentionally and knowingly cause the death of Hysquierdo by pointing a firearm at or in his direction and pulled the trigger.

That Sandoval did so with intent to cause serious bodily injury commit an act clearly dangerous to human life – pointing a firearm at Hysquierdo and pulling the trigger, causing death.

That Sandoval did commit or attempt to commit an act clearly dangerous to human life – discharging a firearm in the direction of one or more individuals, causing the death of an individual and was in the course of intentionally and knowingly committing a felony, namely Deadly Conduct by Discharge of a Firearm and the death of Hysquierdo was caused while defendant was in the course of and furtherance of a commission or attempt of the felony.

Sandoval, 17, was arrested Jan. 14 by the Port Lavaca Police Department in the death of Hysquierdo. 

Three other people were arrested in connection with the crime:

JohnMichael Gage Ruiz, 17, was arrested on a charge of failure to report a felony with serious bodily injury or death results. 

Ashley Nichole Loya, 35, was also arrested on a charge of failure to report a felony with serious bodily injury or death results. 

A 16-year-old was also arrested on a charge of failure to report a felony with serious bodily injury or death results. No further information is available about the juvenile.

“They never reported it (the incident) to us and basically ended up in jail,” said Port Lavaca Police Chief Colin Rangnow in a previous article, adding that they brought the victim to Memorial Medical Center. He was then transported to a San Antonio facility where he later died.