CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — An Ingleside man could face a lengthy sentence after being charged with some 19 felony counts.
San Patricio County District Attorney Sam Smith spoke with 3 News about the time 29-year-old Jorge Puente could spend behind bars. Puente was at the center of a Christmas Day crime spree.
Ingleside PD officials said they initially obtained a warrant for Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant and Aggravated Robbery.
Other charges include four counts of Aggravated Robbery, seven counts of Unlawful Restraint exposed to Serious Bodily Injury, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Evading Arrest-Vehicle, Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
With so many crimes allegedly committed by one person in such a short period of time Smith said that the outcome will not look good for Puente.
"If he wants a jury trial, he could be looking at life in the penitentiary," Smith said.
Many of the charges that Puente faces are felony charges, meaning they carry a minimum of five years and a max of 99 years. Authorities said Puente, who was recently released from prison stands accused of calling 911, then shooting at Ingleside Police when they arrived to the home on Christmas day.
Puente even recorded the entire encounter on Facebook Live.
Smith said that the crime of discharging his weapon at an officer already carries a hefty sentence.
"Not only do you have the charges that start in Ingleside which is discharging your weapon at police officers, shooting at police officers," Smith said. "But then you have one, two aggravated robberies, the second car he took, which are first degree felonies."
Puente is also accused of forcing his nearby neighbor Rolando Villarreal out of his vehicle before pistol whipping him and driving off. He then drove the vehicle to Portland where he did the same thing to someone at the Sonic there.
From Sonic, Puente would lead officers to an emergency clinic off Highway 181, and in doing so increased his charges in the process. A security camera provided footage of him walking inside and locking the door, and effectively taking individuals hostage.
"We will have to evaluate those, possibly aggravated kidnappings," Smith said.
Once both Ingleside and Portland police turn in their reports to the DA's office, Smith will being to sort out the exact charges that will go before a grand jury. Additionally, Smith said that if Puente is found guilty and sentenced to the maximum amount of time, it would be 30 years before he would be eligible for parole.
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