SAN ANTONIO – This year is shaping up to be very busy at the courts. KSAT will be tracking more than a dozen high-profile cases in Bexar County.
From newer cases to some that began years ago, 2025 will likely be the year when these play out.
Below is a look at some of those cases.
Reyes Gallegos
In 2021, Reyes Gallegos was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Cecilia Huertas Gallegos.
Huertas Gallegos disappeared and has not been found, but authorities believed they had enough to charge Gallegos with her death.
A pretrial hearing is expected in February. The case is expected to go to trial during the first half of this year.
D’Lanny Chairez
D’Lanny Chairez was expected to go to trial in 2024, but the case has been pushed to this year due to resets and her request for a new attorney.
Chairez is accused in the death of her 18-month-old son, James Chairez.
James’ remains were found underneath the mobile home he lived in with his mother in April 2021.
A new trial date will be scheduled once Chairez’s new attorney is caught up on the case.
Stephen Clare
In 2023, Stephen Clare was charged with the capital murder of his 11-month-old daughter, attempted capital murder of his then 2-year-old daughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on his ex-wife.
Last year, the District Attorney’s Office announced they would be pursuing the death penalty in this case.
After his last hearing, both sides discussed that the possible trial date would be the end of this summer or early fall 2025.
Jesse Garcia
After a violent rampage in Aug. 2023, Jesse Garcia is facing multiple charges, including five counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer.
Garcia is facing up to life in prison and is expected to go to trial possibly in May.
John Chatmon
The last of the codefendants involved in the 2017 deadly drive-by shooting of a four-year-old boy will go to trial this spring.
John Chatmon is the last of four who were charged in the murder of De-Earlvion Whitley.
On July 19, 2017, more than 60 shots were fired into the East Side home where Whitley lived with his parents and brother. Whitley was struck in the head and died from his injuries.
Jury selection is expected to begin on March 24 with testimony to begin the following day.
Jesus Prado
Jesus Prado is charged with two counts of attempted capital murder of a police officer.
Prado is accused of shooting two officers after they responded to a domestic disturbance call.
Prado’s trial is expected in April.
Taymor McIntyre
Known as Texas rapper Tay-K 47, Taymor McIntyre is facing a capital murder charge in San Antonio.
Already convicted of murder in another county, McIntyre has been accused in the 2017 robbery and fatal shooting of Mark Anthony Saldivar outside a North Side Chick-fil-A.
McIntyre, if convicted, would automatically be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
His trial is expected to begin on Feb. 10.
James Brennand
The former SAPD officer accused in the shooting of a teen outside a McDonald’s in 2022 is expected to go to trial this spring.
James Brennand was expected to go to trial last year, but after a new prosecutor was assigned, the case was pushed to April of this year.
Currently, there is still no prosecutor in charge of the division that prosecutes these cases, which means that the tentative April trial date could change.
Brennand’s body camera footage shows him shooting Erik Cantu as he attempted to drive away from him.
Cantu is currently in a county counseling facility after violating his probation.
3 Former SAPD Officers charged in death of woman suffering mental health crisis
Three former SAPD officers charged with the death of Melissa Perez in June 2023 are expected to have their trial date this year.
Perez was having a mental health crisis inside her apartment when body camera footage showed her being shot by the officers.
Alfred Flores, Eleazar Alejandro and Nathaniel Villalobos were all charged in this case.
Flores and Alejandro were charged with murder and Villalobos with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The case was transferred to a different courtroom after a complaint was made about the handling of the case by 187th District Court Judge Stephanie Boyd.
A hearing set for this month in front of 387th District Court Judge Ron Rangel could establish when a trial date would be scheduled.
R.C. Curtis
The retrial of a 2021 capital murder case was again put on hold after evidence issues continued to arise.
R.C. Curtis is accused in the 2015 capital murder of his wife’s grandmother, Paula Boyd.
The case in 2021 ended in a mistrial after new evidence was discovered during the trial.
The case was scheduled to begin in December 2024, but new evidence was found once again.
After several follow-up hearings and another one scheduled in January, a trial date is expected to be scheduled.
Kristian Ray Belmudez
A San Antonio teen charged in a 2023 double murder could be heading to trial this year.
Kristian Ray Belmudez, who has been charged with capital murder, is accused of fatally shooting Gabriel Sanchez and Sanaa Keilani McNeil at a motel off Interstate 35.
A hearing scheduled later this month could determine when a jury would be selected in this case.
Derrick Coles
A man charged in the 2022 death of his 12-year-old son is expected to go to trial this year.
Derrick Coles is accused of beating his son, Danilo Coles, to death.
Coles was charged with injury to a child and is facing up to life in prison.
While a scheduled trial date is not available, during the last hearing, the judge said the case needed to go to trial soon.
Brad Simpson
Brad Simpson is accused of the murder of his wife, Suzanne Clark Simpson, whose remains have yet to be found.
While this case is fairly new and probably not going to trial this year, it is one KSAT 12 will follow closely.
If found guilty, Simpson is facing up to life in prison. His next court hearing is scheduled for February.
Christopher Preciado, Myrta Romanos and Ramon Preciado
The triple murder of Savannah Soto, her boyfriend Matthew Guerra and their unborn child happened in 2023, but the case has made very little movement.
Christopher Preciado is charged with capital murder in this case. His parents, Ramon Preciado and Myrta Romanos, are accused of helping him cover up the crime.
A decision by the district attorney’s office hasn’t been made on whether Christopher Preciado would be facing the death penalty.
The next court hearing for the three is scheduled for Jan. 27.