PRESS RELEASE
A Medina County Jury sentenced a Hondo man to life in prison for the murder of his neighbor at the Cheers n Beers Bar in downtown Hondo.
Luis Deleon, Jr., 51, was found guilty of the July 18th, 2021 murder of Roger Palacios, Jr. Evidence showed Palacios was stabbed multiple times in his chest and neck with a large hunting knife Deleon brought into the bar. Witnesses described Palacios as a popular, kind person who was having a good time dancing a Cumbia in a packed bar before the attack. Deleon, who has a long history of methamphetamine abuse, accused Palacios of an affair with his then-girlfriend, though witnesses testified there was no such affair. Numerous eye witnesses described the assault in that bar in vivid detail; one which prosecutors argued resembled a “prison-style shanking,” done quickly, quietly, and without any warning.
After being found guilty, prosecutors demonstrated an escalating pattern of violence in Deleon’s life, with previous convictions for assault and domestic violence. Conceding that even a minimal sentence would likely mean Deleon spent the rest of his life behind bars due to his poor health, prosecutors argued that a strong sentence would send the right message to the Palacios family and citizens of Medina County.
“I commend my colleagues, Christian Neumann, Julie Solis, Debra Lankford, and Gilbert Valdez, for their diligent work in achieving justice and closure for the victim’s family,” said Medina County Criminal District Attorney Mark Haby.
Assistant District Attorney Christian Neumann and First Assistant District Attorney Julie Solis prosecuted this case in the 454th District Court. The Hondo Police Department investigated the crime.
