Yantis man sentenced to life for child sexual assault

 

On May 10th, in the 402nd Judicial District Court of Wood County, a Yantis man was found guilty on four accounts of aggravated assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child.
 

A District Court jury of seven men and five women took just one hour to find Jose Concepcion Garcia, 55, guilty. Judge G. Timothy Boswell was presiding.
 

The jury heard from Jim Wheeler, Wood County district attorney and Angela Converse, assistant district attorney and Luis A. Merren, Jr. for the defense.
 

Witnesses testified of the abuse and how controlling Mr. Garcia was to their family.
 

Punishment evidence was presented immediately after the guilt or innocence phase and the jury was also charged with determining punishment.
 

Expert witnesses testified of the long-term affects on children of child abuse and the likelihood of recidivism if Mr. Garcia were to be placed in community supervision (probation).
 

Although Mr. Garcia had previously made application for community supervision (probation) to be considered by the jury, at the conclusion of the evidence, the jury sentenced Mr. Garcia to life in the penitentiary in each of the four aggravated assault of a child cases, and to 20 years in the penitentiary in the indecency with a child case. Mr. Garcia had no prior criminal history.