Man with Meth in House Across from Elementary School Gets 35 Years

SAN ANGELO, TX — The man arrested during the San Angelo Police Department’s Street Crimes Division raid on the home he was occupying across the street from San Jacinto Elementary School pled guilty this morning to three separate drug charges.

All drug charges were related to Methamphetamines.

Damien Ray Medina, 32, of San Angelo was originally expected to go on trial next week, but in a surprise move this morning, pled guilty.

He was facing 5-99 years in prison if found guilty. The prosecution warned that if the case went to trial, the State would push for the maximum sentence.

Instead, after his guilty plea, Judge Barbara Walther sentenced Medina to 35 years in prison.

During Tuesday’s raid on his mother’s home, police stated they found meth and marijuana in his possession. Medina’s mother, who lives in the house that was raided at 802 Pulliam, said, “My Damien has a drug problem, but he wasn’t a dealer.”

His mother, Rose Sanchez, claimed the police found a miniscule amount of meth after scraping the bottom of a meth pipe also used for smoking marijuana.

Our reporter at the scene witnessed police carrying out bags of what appeared to be powdery substances and testing them outside the house for drugs.

Back in July 2016, at his previous residence at 1822 Martin, before Medina moved in with his parents, police served a search warrant there and found a large quantity of meth, enough to justify accusing Medina of dealing it. The police report and indictment state 4-400 grams of meth was seized that day last July.

Sanchez admitted her son was a user, addicted to meth. “He’s not a dealer, though,” she maintained. He cleaned up his act after the bust last year, she said.

Sanchez said Tuesday’s Street Crimes raid was very violent. Her husband, who she said cannot hear well, was thrown on the floor. Items, the fence, and windows were broken, as police searched for evidence.

“It’s a shame that a kid who shot those two teens in the head gets 30 years and my Damien gets 35 years for drugs,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said her family doesn’t have the resources to pay $20,000 for drug rehabilitation for her son. “There aren’t any programs out there to help poor people like Damien.”

In the picture above, Damien Medina is whisked away by police after being arrested for possession of drugs on Sept. 11, 2017.