The Father Supports Brother Accused of Sexually Assaulting and Impregnating His 12-Year-Old Daughter

Jeremiah Mediano, 33, of San Angelo walked to the witness stand in Courtroom A of the Tom Green County Courthouse Monday afternoon and took a seat. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Knight called him to the stand as a witness to testify in his brother’s case. His brother, Jacob Mediano, 29, stands accused of sexually assaulting and impregnating Jeremiah’s 12-year-old daughter, and his jury trial began yesterday morning.

When asked if he believed his brother sexually assaulted and impregnated his daughter, Jeremiah said, “No, I don’t;” and when asked if he thought his brother innocent, he said, “Yes, I do.”

Jeremiah stood strong in his answer and by his brother’s side despite the DNA evidence that may prove otherwise.

Earlier That Morning

Monday morning, a little past 8:30 a.m., the Mediano brothers walked side-by-side into the Tom Green Court House, and made their way to the 51^st District Court where Judge Tom Gossett with the 391^st District Court, Assistant D.A. Knight, along with Assistant D.A. John Best, and Jacob Mediano’s defense attorney, James Millan of San Antonio, went through the process of selecting a jury for Jacob’s case. Previously, Jacob Mediano attempted to fire his attorney because he didn't feel "comfortable going to trial" yet. Read more here.

By 12:45 p.m., the State and Defense chose a panel of 12 jurors, six men and six women, ranging from ages 20 to over 60, along with two female alternates, and Judge Gossett called a recess before the official start of the trial at 2:30 p.m.

The Case Thus Far

When the case started after 2:30 p.m., Judge Gossett swore in witnesses and explained expectations to the jury. As he did so, Jacob Mediano sat with his head held high, while his brother Jeremiah was sent outside with the other witnesses to await their turn on the stand.

Finally, Gossett said, “We begin the case of the State against Jacob Mediano in the aggravated sexual assault of a child 14 years or younger…, how do you plead?”

“Not guilty,” stated Jacob.

In her opening statements, Assistant D.A. Knight explained how Mediano, on or about the 15^th day of July in 2013, intentionally and knowingly sexually assaulted his niece who was 12 at the time. She was 13 when she gave birth to “a healthy baby girl despite the dysfunctional relationship within the family,” stated Knight.

The D.A.’s first witness, Barbara Cockrell, an investigator with Child Protective Services for nine years, explained that she was called initially by lead investigator Rebecca Stanley to assist in a case involving a 12-year-old girl reported to be pregnant.

At the time, the victim lived with her father, Jeremiah, her Uncle Jacob, and her grandparents at a home in the 2900 block of Abilene St.

When she went out to the home with assisting San Angelo Police Department officers and Stanley, Cockrell said she didn’t remember the exact day, but it was warm. That’s why she thought it strange the victim was wearing a fleece zip-up sweater.

“That’s what stood out most since it was warm that day,” said Cockrell.

Once Cockrell and Stanley removed the victim, they took her to Community Medical Center where the victim took a pregnancy test, heard the baby’s heartbeat and underwent a prenatal checkup with a physician.

“She was not emotional; she did not react in any way. It was just sort of surreal at that point,” said Cockrell, to which Defense Attorney Millan objected as speculation.

At that point, Knight provided a picture of the victim on that day for the jury to view, and the image confirmed Cockrell’s description of the victim’s pregnancy and large gray and black fleece sweater.

After removed from the home, Knight asked if anything changed in the victim’s clothing.

“Yes, ma’am,” Cockrell replied. “She no longer wanted to wear her fleece sweater.”

During his questioning, Millan asked Cockrell about her first contact with Jeremiah.

“What was his demeanor?” he asked.

“Jeremiah was angry and not cooperative,” Cockrell recalled.

Additionally, Cockrell said there was confusion as to who the victim’s dad was because she referred to Jacob as her dad.

Millan also asked Cockrell about the victim’s cell phone. The investigator said it was removed from the victim for protection.

“She was on her phone the entire time that day,” Cockrell said. She added that they were concerned about her safety and the victim letting people know her whereabouts. Cockrell confirmed the victim was removed from the custody of Jeremiah Mediano that day and sent to Wichita Falls, Texas.

After Cockrell’s testimony, that’s when Knight called Jeremiah to the stand. When asked about his relationship to the victim, he said, “She’s my daughter.”

He said, at the time of her pregnancy, the victim was in the 7^th grade at Lee Junior High. He also said he had no other children, and the victim's mom didn’t live in the home. Jeremiah got custody of his daughter when he got out of prison.

When asked about who lived in the home, he said, “Me, my brother and my parents.”

Jeremiah added that his daughter slept in the room upstairs and he slept across the hall. He claimed his brother slept downstairs to help with his mother who had a stroke in 2012. However, Knight contradicted him.

“On December 8, 2015, do you remember where you said people slept? You said they [his daughter and Jacob] shared a bedroom,” reminded Knight. “You’re changing that now?”

Jeremiah responded, “I don’t remember saying that. All I remember is they shared a bedroom.”

Jeremiah said Jacob’s things were in his daughter’s room, but he slept downstairs. Knight, on the other hand, reminded him again that he said they shared a room. Jeremiah, however, maintained that wasn’t the case.

When asked what work he and his brother do, Jeremiah said they work odd jobs and have a lawn business, and he has lived with his parents for over 30 years.

When Millan asked about the confusion relating to the victim’s parentage, Jeremiah clarified that his daughter had viewed Jacob as a father figure. He also said she can be untruthful at times, and he doesn’t believe his brother sexually assaulted or impregnated her despite the DNA evidence.

A Family Cycle

Jeremiah, who received custody of his daughter after getting out of prison in 2007, was actually incarcerated for the aggravated sexual assault of his daughter’s mother, Michelle Chavez.

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According to court documents in the case, Jeremiah, on Dec. 30, 1999, sexually assaulted Chavez, who was 13 years old. Jeremiah was 18 when convicted. He pleaded guilty and served five years in the penitentiary.

Court documents note that Jeremiah was 17 when he got into a relationship with Chavez; however, she too became pregnant with Jeremiah’s daughter. Jeremiah’s family, however, maintained that Chavez lied about her age and family situation, and that she seduced him.

Back to Witness Testimony

After Jeremiah finished his testimony, the jury listened to accounts by Detective Kelly Lajoie who specializes in crimes against children. She explained the process of taking DNA evidence from Jacob, the victim, and the victim’s baby.

Lajoie said since the victim did not make an outcry of assault at the time of her removal from the home, SAPD had to wait until the child was born so they could obtain warrants, take DNA samples and have them taken to a lab. The victim had her baby on April 15, 2014.

A representative with the Texas Rangers in Wichita Falls helped gather the DNA samples from both the victim and the baby.

Millan asked, “Is there any reason you didn’t request [a sample] from Jeremiah?” He also asked if Lajoie took any samples from boys around the victim’s age.

“No, I did not,” answered Lajoie. She said she only took a sample from Jacob.

Robin Johnson, an SAPD Crime Scene Technician and next witness, explained the process of taking the samples, and then the Texas Ranger who assisted from Wichita Falls was about to testify when a report he sent earlier in the day came up. Because that had just been received and the Defense needed time to review it properly, Judge Gossett called recess until this morning at 9 a.m.

So stay tuned. San Angelo LIVE! will continue to provide updates as this case proceeds.

Note: The name of the minor victim was placed into the article by accident, but has been corrected. We do apologize.