A man has been handed a decade behind bars in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred at an Austin Waffle House back in 2020. After pleading guilty to aggravated robbery, Jalen Highsmith, received his sentence on Feb. 13, as per KXAN.
The incident, which took place in November 2020, saw Highsmith and another man, Kelvin Robinson, engage in a dangerous robbery attempt in the parking lot of the Waffle House, located at 8800 E. U.S. 290. Originally charged with capital murder, Highsmith's plea to the lesser charge came after the two men, wielding firearms, approached a gathering of friends demanding their possessions. In the tragic turn of events, Mario Robinson, a 23-year-old man, was shot dead as he tried to drive away from the chaos.
Both Highsmith and Robinson were nabbed in Memphis, Tennessee, with the assistance of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, confirmed Austin police. According to KVUE, the arrest found the two men in Shelby County jail as of the following Thursday afternoon following the shooting.
In memory of the victim, Mario Robinson's family described him as a person beaming with a "wonderful smile" and someone whose "unique charm and charisma" could make anyone feel welcome. "He is deeply missed and our families are broken without him," his family shared with KVUE amid the grim events. On top of his love for sports cars and fashion, Robinson, who graduated from Samuel Clemens H.S., was known to be an aficionado of professional racing.
Highsmith could be eligible for up to 1,153 days of jail credit if he serves time in county jail or against fines and costs. This could potentially reduce the length of his 10-year sentence significantly, as reported by KXAN.
