SAN ANGELO, TX — The capital murder trial of Francisco “Pancho” Morales, 21, ended abruptly Tuesday afternoon with a plea deal. Morales, facing the death penalty, admitted to his role in a deadly home invasion of an apartment on Lillie Street that left Jacob Hernandez dead.
The trial began with damning testimony, including cell phone evidence presented by sheriff’s investigator Corey Speck. Using AT&T data, Speck tracked Morales and co-conspirators as they traveled from Abilene to San Angelo to rob Crystal Ramirez, a single mother allegedly involved in marijuana sales.
Ramirez worked at Reyna’s Tacos, where a co-worker reportedly told her ex-boyfriend, David Rodriguez, that Ramirez earned extra cash selling marijuana. Rodriguez then recruited Morales to commit the robbery, called a "lick," to grab all of Ramirez's money and dope. On the night of May 26, 2021, cell phone data revealed that David Rodriguez was waiting downtown in an establishment situated along the north bank of the Concho River before meeting up with Morales for the pre-planned robbery.
Ramirez testified that her night began quietly. After dinner with Hernandez, the couple returned to her apartment around 10:30 p.m. Ramirez’s second-grade daughter was bathed and in bed by 11 p.m. Ramirez locked the apartment doors before retiring to her bedroom with Hernandez, who planned to spend the night.
The tranquility ended shortly after 3 a.m. when Ramirez and Hernandez awoke to a loud bang, followed by the sounds of drawers opening and footsteps approaching. Moments later, gunshots shattered the silence.
“They got closer and louder,” Ramirez said. Hernandez pushed her to the floor, instructing her to stay down, before an assailant kicked in the bedroom door.
The lights were still off when Hernandez was shot at close range. The pathologist testified that a .380-caliber bullet ruptured Hernandez’s carotid artery, causing fatal injuries.
“There were no voices, no demands,” Ramirez recalled tearfully. “I heard Jacob fall onto the bed. I could hear my daughter screaming from the other room.”
Once the attackers left, Ramirez ran to check on her daughter, who was unharmed despite a bullet piercing her bedroom door and embedding into a baseboard nearby. The two then ran to Hernandez, who was still fighting for his life.
“I held Jacob. He was still breathing. I called 911, but he took his last breath shortly after,” Ramirez said.
In court, Morales sat expressionless as Ramirez described the horrific attack. Although Morales’ backpack—containing Ramirez’s stolen purse—was inexplicably left behind on the couch, the perpetrators ultimately found no significant cash or drugs.
Many of the murder trials we cover involve almost exclusively the marijuana trade.
Court recessed after Ramirez’s emotional testimony, but the proceedings took a sudden turn after lunch. The trial moved to a smaller courtroom, where 340th District Judge Jay Weatherby announced a plea agreement. Morales pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for life in prison, avoiding the death penalty.
Rodriguez, who had already pleaded guilty in July previously also received a life sentence.
The day of the plea deal coincidentally marked Morales’ 21st birthday.
See this related (and earlier) article about this trial:
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