Houston Carjacking Case: Houston Couple Receive Lengthy Prison Term For Carjacking and Beating Up an Uber Driver

In Houston, two local residents have received federal prison sentences after being found guilty of carjacking with the intent to cause severe harm or death. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani made this announcement.

Frank Lewis Blanco, aged 28, and Destinee Guerrero, aged 24, entered guilty pleas on June 23. U.S. 

District Judge David Hittner has now handed down their sentences, sentencing Blanco to 120 months in prison and Guerrero to 72 months. Additionally, both are required to serve three years of supervised release following their incarceration.

During the hearing, the victim recounted his traumatic experience and the injuries he sustained. 

He described how Blanco and Guerrero treated his head brutally, resulting in lasting damage to his eye and nose. Testimony also highlighted that the victim is an immigrant who works tirelessly to support his wife and children. 

In delivering the prison sentences, Judge Hittner emphasized the "extremely violent nature and circumstances of the offense."

U.S. Attorney Hamdani expressed that "justice is blind" and emphasized that everyone, whether a professional heading to work or an immigrant striving to make a living, deserves to be safe in their workplace. Hamdani, the son of an immigrant cab driver, expressed empathy for the victim and commended the court for delivering justice to a working-class individual.

Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez of the FBI Houston field office condemned Blanco and Guerrero's actions, stating that they targeted those who play essential roles in the community. The attackers posed as passengers but violently assaulted and robbed a carshare driver attempting to earn an honest living. 

Martinez emphasized that these criminals not only robbed the victim of his livelihood but also shattered his sense of security. He hopes that the sentences handed down will serve as a clear message to such criminals and others who may still engage in similar acts, assuring them that hard-working community members will not be allowed to be targeted and terrorized.

The incident occurred on November 13, 2022, when Blanco and Guerrero hailed an Uber at around 8:30 a.m. However, once inside the vehicle, they repeatedly changed their destination, taking the driver on a circuitous route around Houston for about half an hour.

The driver eventually requested that the couple exit the vehicle, but they refused. 

He stopped at a gas station and asked the attendant to contact the police. While awaiting law enforcement, the driver once again asked Blanco and Guerrero to leave his car. However, the couple responded by attacking him, rendering him unconscious, and subjecting him to repeated stomping and kicking before stealing his car.

The assault was captured on the gas station's surveillance cameras. 

Both Blanco and Guerrero have been in custody and will remain so until they are transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, the location of which will be determined in the near future.

 

In another news, a deeply saddened family pays tribute to Carly Kilpatrick, a 14-year-old from Inverkeithing High School, who tragically lost her life in what is suspected to be a drug-related incident in Fife, Scotland. See detailed story here

[SOURCE]