Brother sentenced to life for deadly crime spree in Houston | State News

Houston, TX — The first of two brothers accused in a multi-day crime spree in 2021 that left one man dead and another injured was sentenced Thursday to life in prison, Harris County District Attorney Kim announced Ogg.Alexander Salvador Ordonez, 22, was sentenced to life in prison by a judge after a five-day trial in which a jury convicted him of murder for killing Cameron B. Stevens, 19, at a resort Cypress Station apartment building on February 6. , 2021. Stevens did not know Ordonez or his younger brother, Kevin Ordonez, but he was trying to buy them a handgun and agreed to meet them late at night at the well-lit apartment complex.When the deal fell through, Stevens began driving away from the Ordonez brothers, who were in a white 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The brothers slowly approached Stevens, who was unarmed as he returned to his apartment, shot him and struck him once in the head, killing him. Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the murder and began investigating, including pulling surveillance video from several cameras in the area. The video shows the license plate of the car, which was later linked to an armed robbery the day before. In this crime, a man and woman were robbed of their money, marijuana and vehicle by the Ordonez brothers while posing as marijuana buyers. The man was shot in the leg after handing over his belongings. He survived the shooting.Sheriff's Office investigators later learned that the day after the murder, the brothers were involved in another armed robbery outside an auto parts store. Charges against Alexander Ordonez for those two robberies were dropped after he was convicted of murder. However, the facts in those cases were presented in open court during Ordonez's punishment phase to give the judge a complete picture of the scope of the crime wave. Assistant District Attorneys Gilbert Sawtelle, who is chief of the trial office, and Sean Kozar-King prosecuted Ordonez. “These two brothers were working together in this scheme to trap innocent people who thought they were going to buy or sell something and ended up being robbed at gunpoint,” Sawtelle said. “It's a scary thing for any citizen of Harris County because these kinds of encounters, whether it's Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, happen all the time, and the last thing anyone wants is is to be robbed or shot.”He noted there was no reason for anyone to be shot in either shooting. “Those shots were unnecessary,” he said. “They got what they wanted and there was no need to shoot anyone.”Sawtelle advised buyers and sellers planning meetings to take someone with them, meet during the day in a public space and remain vigilant. Many police stations and other law enforcement agencies provide space where foreigners can meet for simple transactions.Several charges, including murder, have been filed against 20-year-old Kevin Ordonez for his role in this crime spree. His trial is scheduled for October.