An 18-year-old facing two murder charges in Bexar County is expected to learn his fate Thursday, in a high-stakes hearing tied to a deadly drive-by shooting prosecutors say he joined when he was just 14. Authorities say the defendant later cut off a court-ordered GPS monitor while out on bond and was then linked to a separate fatal shooting. Family members of the victims and court officials were expected at the downtown courthouse as judges prepare to hand down a sentence.
Drive-by That Killed Novita Brazil
The shooting unfolded in the early morning hours of Oct. 4, 2022, when roughly 100 rounds were fired into a home in the 11400 block of Bald Mountain Drive, killing 25-year-old Novita Brazil and wounding another woman. Investigators say the house was not the intended target and that multiple teenagers were involved. As reported by the San Antonio Express-News, one co-defendant has already been sentenced to 40 years.
Sentencing Expected Thursday
According to KSAT, the defendant, Rene Gonzales, is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in the 437th Criminal District Court. Gonzales was 14 at the time of the Oct. 2022 shooting and is now 18, prosecutors say. The hearing is set for the Bexar County courthouse downtown.
Prosecutors have told the court they intend to fold a second alleged slaying into the case’s punishment phase. "This case, it appears, won’t be resolved by way of plea. We will need a trial date," prosecutor Neal Cordero told a judge in earlier proceedings, per KSAT. Officials say Gonzales was certified to stand trial as an adult in late 2024 and could face consecutive life terms if convicted on both counts.
Court Timeline And Legal Stakes
Court dockets list the case under number 2023CR5391A, and records from the Bexar County Criminal Justice Information System show a murder charge and scheduling notations tied to the 437th court. Because Gonzales was a juvenile at the time of the alleged drive-by, prosecutors moved to try him as an adult, a step that significantly raises the stakes at sentencing and at any subsequent trial. If convicted on both murder counts, he faces the possibility of multiple life sentences.
Community And Past Outcomes
The killing of Novita Brazil prompted local outrage and a series of arrests. One co-defendant, Isaac Diego Gonzales, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years in January 2024, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Sheriff’s investigators have said the attack appeared to be gang-related, and the case renewed scrutiny on ankle monitoring and pretrial supervision after defendants cut off electronic monitors while out on bond. Victim relatives have urged witnesses and anyone with information to cooperate with prosecutors as the case proceeds.
The 437th Criminal District Court was scheduled to hear the matter Thursday at the Bexar County courthouse, and any sentence handed down will be reflected in official court filings and dockets. Court reporters and public records will confirm the judge’s ruling once it is entered on file.
