Man pleads guilty to murder in 2022 rideshare crash during Houston police chase
HOUSTON - A man charged in a deadly 2022 crash that occurred while he was leading Houston police on a high-speed chase has pleaded guilty.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office confirmed with FOX 26 Thursday that Yasmir Reyes, 28, entered a guilty plea in court. Under the terms of the plea, Reyes faces a sentencing range of five years to life (99 years) in prison.
The Fatal Crash
The backstory:
The incident occurred around 12:25 a.m. on Monday, June 13, 2022. Houston Police officers attempted to stop Reyes, who was driving a black Ford Mustang near PlazAmericas Mall, for a traffic violation. Reyes refused to stop, leading officers on a pursuit southbound on the Southwest Freeway service road.
The chase ended in tragedy when Reyes ran a red light at the intersection of West Sam Houston Parkway South and crashed into a white Chevrolet Malibu.
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Judge rules mistrial for suspect in deadly 2022 Houston police chase; family reacts
Yasmir Reyes was on trial for felony murder after he allegedly ran a red light while fleeing police on June 13, 2022. The resulting T-bone crash killed Chaz Joubert, a 27-year-old rideshare driver and injured a 16-year-old passenger. The defense argued that jurors were able to see Reyes' leg shackles during the trial.
The driver of the Malibu, 23-year-old Chaz Joubert, was pronounced dead at the scene. Joubert was operating the vehicle as a rideshare at the time of the collision. A 16-year-old female passenger in the rideshare suffered multiple serious injuries and was hospitalized in stable condition following the crash.
Reyes, who suffered a broken leg in the collision, was charged with murder and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.
Family Reacts
What they're saying:
Following the guilty plea Thursday, the victim’s mother, April Joubert, expressed a sense of relief and closure. Speaking on the legal development, she stated that she is pleased with the results and the fact that Reyes is being held accountable for the crash that claimed her son’s life.
She gave an emotional plea for justice after the case was declared a mistrial on Dec. 10. At the conclusion of the trial, as jurors deliberated the verdict, the defense attorney noticed that Reyes' leg restraints were visible to the jury from where they were sitting — claiming that it violated Reyes' right to be presumed innocent.
The judge eventually granted the mistrial.
What's next:
Reyes will remain in custody until his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for April 30.
The Source: Fox 26's Sherman Desselle gathered information from the Harris County District Attorney's Office and spoke exclusively with the family Thursday.