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Jury convicts Angel Miguel Cepeda Ronda of aggravated kidnapping; jurors assess 3-year sentence, deny community supervision
Summary
A jury found Angel Miguel Cepeda Ronda guilty of aggravated kidnapping but unanimously concluded the complainant had been released in a safe place; jurors sentenced him to three years in prison and denied community supervision, and the court permitted a victim impact statement.
A jury in Bexar County convicted Angel Miguel Cepeda Ronda of aggravated kidnapping and assessed punishment at three years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the court announced after a multi-day trial.
During the guilt phase the jury found the defendant guilty of aggravated kidnapping as charged in the indictment and did not find beyond a reasonable doubt that a deadly weapon was used or exhibited. At the punishment phase the jury returned a verdict that the defendant voluntarily released the complaining witness, identified on the record as Veil Contreras Perez, in a safe place. The jury assessed confinement at three years, imposed no fine, and recommended that the defendant’s application for community supervision be denied.
The trial record included a victim impact statement from the complaining witness, who described lasting emotional and physical effects. In Spanish, through an interpreter, the complaining witness said, “I do not smile anymore. Life is not the same,” and described difficulty sleeping and changes to daily life and relationships. The court allowed that testimony in the punishment phase and the jury heard additional testimony about probation and community supervision from a probation liaison.
Defense counsel argued for a prison range reduced by the jury’s affirmative finding on release in a safe place and asked for a sentence no greater than 10 years with a recommendation for community supervision, citing the defendant’s family ties and support network. The prosecution opposed probation and urged the jury to impose a prison sentence, ultimately asking for a term near the statutory maximum available under the applicable punishment range given the facts and evidence.
After the verdict, the court formally sentenced Cepeda Ronda to three years in prison, credited him for time served, recorded that there was no deadly weapon finding for sentencing purposes, and confirmed the jury’s denial of community supervision. The court also recorded that the defendant retains the right to appeal because the case was tried to a jury; the clerk will prepare standard post-trial paperwork.
