August 26, 2024
On Thursday, August 15, the 100th Judicial District Court in Childress County, Texas, convened for a significant docket of pleas and sentencing. The session, overseen by the Honorable Judge Dale Rabe, featured District Attorney Luke Inman and Assistant District Attorney Harley Caudle representing the State of Texas.
Among the cases addressed, Martin Juan Benavidez, 35, of Wellington, Texas, was handed a substantial sentence following multiple felony convictions. Benavidez was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a second-degree felony burglary of a habitation committed in Collingsworth County.
Benavidez had initially been placed on probation for this offense on April 10, 2023. However, the State’s motion to adjudicate the probation was filed on June 6, 2024, citing 15 violations of the probation conditions. Benavidez admitted to these violations, leading to his sentencing.
In addition to the prison term, Benavidez was ordered to pay $500 in fines, $340 in court costs, and $1,000 in restitution related to the burglary charge.
Benavidez also faced a second set of charges for a second-degree felony of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which led to his arrest on April 7, 2024, in Collingsworth County. On August 15, Benavidez pleaded guilty to this charge, resulting in an additional five-year prison sentence. He was ordered to pay $340 in court costs for this conviction.
Judge Rabe ruled that the sentences for the burglary and aggravated assault will run consecutively. Consequently, Benavidez will serve his 18-year sentence for the burglary before becoming eligible for parole on the five-year sentence for aggravated assault.
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