Brawl breaks out in Texas court after Frank DeLeon Jr. admits to killing teen girlfriend 20 moths ago

16-year-old Diamond Alvarez was shot 22 times in the back last year January, as she walked the family dog near their home in Houston home

Her on-off boyfriend Frank DeLeon, 19, was arrested and charged with her murder, after cops learned she had agreed to meet DeLeon in their neighborhood park after she found out he was in another relationship

Frank DeLeon Jr, 20, accepted a plea deal Tuesday for fatally shooting his girlfriend 22 times on January 11, 2022

Reading her victim impact statement the victim’s mom called the killer a ‘monster’ then started to walk toward him 

That sparked a massive fight between the families, forcing bailiffs to tackle family members and end the melee

DeLeon Jr. faces 45 years in prison, as per his plea agreement when he returns to court on Thursday for formal sentencing

He will serve at least half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole

A huge brawl broke out between the families of convicted killer Frank DeLeon Jr. [in orange regulation uniform], and Diamond Alvarez, the girlfriend he shot dead in January, after the victim’s mom called him a ‘monster’. He is scheduled to be sentenced to 45 years in prison

A murder hearing inside a Houston courtroom on Tuesday descended into brief moment of chaos after a huge brawl broke out between the family of a convicted killer and the family of his victim, after the mother of the dead girl called the murderer a ‘monster.’
Frank DeLeon Jr., 20, had just pled guilty during a hearing in a Houston courtroom Tuesday, admitting that he shot his 16-year-old girlfriend Diamond Alvarez 22 times, as she walked the family dog in January 2022. 
Alvarez was killed in the attack.
DeLeon Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced to 45 years in prison, as per his plea agreement when he returns to court on Thursday for formal sentencing. He will have to serve at least half of his sentence before he’s eligible for parole.

Alvarez’s mom, Anna Machado, delivered her victim’s impact statement, addressing the court she castigated the defendant as a monster. When she finished, she left a witness stand and started to head toward DeLeon. 
A bailiff restrained her, but Alvarez’s uncle charged at the killer, sparking the fight before the families were separated.
After order was restored, Machado did not regret her words, telling local media: ‘He’s a monster in my eyes. That would never change.
‘Did he look remorseful at all? No. He was laughing at my face. (Like) it’s a joke. A life is not a joke. My daughter’s not a joke.’

Frank DeLeon [left], 20, will serve half of his expected 45 year sentence before parole, for fatally shooting his girlfriend Diamond Alvarez, [right], 16, after she confronted him about dating her whilst being in another relationship

Still, Machado apologized for sparking the brawl, admitting that it was ‘wrong.’  
Despite the melee, Machado said she was happy that her daughter’s killer admitted to the crime. 
‘I’ve been fighting for justice, and today, finally, my daughter has her justice,’ Machado told KHOU.
‘Our lives have stopped since that night.
‘We’re like walking zombies,’ adding, ‘He got what he deserves and I’m going to focus on my family, and Diamond has her justice, and I just want to move forward.’
The victim’s uncle was taken into custody after the fight, though it’s unclear if he was charged with a crime. 

Alvarez’s mother, Anna Machado, spoke during the hearing. When she finished, she left a witness stand and started to head toward DeLeon. A bailiff restrained her, but it started the fight

The footage recorded by the courtroom cameras shows the uncle charging at the killer as three bailiffs and others in the court tried to stop the fight.
One court security officer can be seen pulling out a taser which he then points at the uncle. However, the footage does not show if that weapon was deployed. 
Next, a bailiff pulled DeLeon Jr. away from the enraged charging man, with the judge hastily retreating to his chambers. Meanwhile DeLeon’s mother engages the victim’s mother, Anna Machado, in a scuffle. 

At the hearing held Tuesday in a Houston courtroom, the victim’s uncle, [in the blue and white stripe shirt],charged at the killer [in regulation orange uniform], sparking the massive fight that bailiffs tried to stop

One of the court security officers pulled out a taser, which he pointed at Alvarez’s uncle [ in blue and white striped shirt], though it’s unclear if it was used to subdue the agitated man

As court security brought the charging man under control, another member of the gallery, [red top], joined the fracas to attack Alvarez’s uncle

After court security took the uncle to the ground, another woman ran up from the gallery and toward the uncle. That ignited another new fight as courtroom security tried again to get control of the courtroom. 
The entire incident lasted for about a minute. 
The scuffle was so intense deputies from other courtrooms were forced to respond and ended up breaking protocol by abandoning an accused domestic abuser in another courtroom who then absconded.
Michael Devon Combs, 32, was left alone uncuffed and was able to undo his leg irons before escaping. He had not been located as of Tuesday evening.

That sparked a second round of fighting, which court security had to try and end

DeLeon accepted a plea deal in court on Tuesday morning as he was supposed to face trial this week on the charges related to the murder of Diamond Alvarez. 
Diamond Alvarez was described as a straight-A student, who played volleyball and basketball, and was looking forward to a career in cosmetology. On January 22, she had gone to meet DeLeon whilst walking her dog Peanut at around 9.30pm to confront him for dating her while he was in a long-term relationship with another girl.
DeLeon’s response was shooting her 22 times in the back, according to the report filed by Houston police.

DeLeon was pulled away form the fight as he admitted to murder. He is set to be sentenced to 45 years in prison

The teenager’s family immediately became concerned after hearing gunshots and then discovering Peanut alone and covered in blood outside their door.
The Houston Police Department said neighborhood residents claimed to have heard multiple shots and that a dark-colored car reportedly sped off from the site of the attack, traveling north on Markwood Lane.
DeLeon accepted a plea deal in court on Tuesday morning as he was supposed to face trial this week on the charges related to the murder of Diamond Alvarez. 

The scuffle began when Diamond’s mother Anna Machado [center], attempted to rush at DeLeon after delivering her victim impact statement

Diamond Alvarez was described as a straight-A student, who played volleyball and basketball, and was looking forward to a career in cosmetology. 
On January 11, 2022, she had gone to meet DeLeon whilst walking her dog Peanut at around 9.30pm to confront him for dating her while he was in a long-term relationship with another girl.
DeLeon’s response was shooting her 22 times in the back, according to the report filed by Houston police.
The teenager’s family immediately became concerned after hearing gunshots and then discovering Peanut alone and covered in blood outside their door.
The Houston Police Department said neighborhood residents claimed to have heard multiple shots and that a dark-colored car reportedly sped off from the site of the attack, traveling north on Markwood Lane. Diamond was discovered by her brother a couple of blocks from her southwest Houston home, near a field that was used as a neighborhood park.
When she was found, Alvarez was still alive and her mother attempted CPR unsuccessfully.
Paramedics declared her dead at the scene. 

Diamond Alvarez (fourth from left to right) with her family members on New Year’s Eve

In the course of the investigations detectives learned Alvarez had agreed to meet DeLeon in their neighborhood park after she found out he was in another relationship.
DeLeon was arrested days after the shooting and posted a $250,000 bond before being arrested again for violating his bond conditions. He was then granted bond again.
It is not the first time the proceedings around the murder case have descended into chaos.
During a hearing in April 2022, Judge Hazel Jones had to call for security at her courtroom in Houston after Diamond’s brother Abel Alvarez charged at DeLeon in the middle of proceedings.
During that hearing, families were in the courtroom for a hearing as DeLeon was freed on a $250,000 bond, but taken back into custody after his ankle monitor showed he had left house arrest without alerting authorities.