BEAUMONT — A Baytown man was sentenced to 25 years for an Aggravated Robbery in Beaumont.
Shedric Deblanc, 22, of Baytown was sentenced to 25 years in prison for Aggravated Robbery of the Dollar General Store on Highway 105 in Bevil Oaks.
Witnesses described two men entering the store on February 4, 2018 around 8:30 p.m.
One of the men had a handgun and forced the clerk to open the register and took the money in the register. the other man involved had no weapon and acted as the lookout. Both men wore masks and hoodies. The gunman attempted to have the store clerk open the safe, but was told that it would take several minutes after entering the code before the safe would open.
The pair of robbers fled with over $300, then met up with a driver and another passenger on a street near the store.
The clerk who was robbed got a description of the getaway vehicle, as well as a direction of travel. An officer from the Sour Lake Police Department spotted the car as it entered the Sour Lake city limits. The car drove off at a high rate of speed attempting to evade the officer, and subsequently crashed in a drainage ditch. The car continued on for another block before the driver abandoned the car and fled on foot, leaving the three occupants who surrendered to the police. The gun used in the robbery was discovered on the side of the road where the car chase began. It was turned in by a pedestrian walking down the roadway. The gun discharged as the pedestrian picked up the firearm. He subsequently turned the gun into police.
The defendant originally pleaded not guilty as the trial began, but changed his plea to guilty as the state presented its case. The jury deliberated around 35 minutes before returning the sentence or 25 years.
This case was investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Mike Laird and Christopher Bynum, assisted by District Attorney Investigators.
Prosecutor Mike Laird stated, “These robberies are serious, and threaten the very safety and security of our community. They put so many lives in danger. I am grateful to the jury for understanding the serious nature of this offense.”
