HOUSTON (KIAH) — A grand jury has found Tony Earls guilty of manslaughter in the 2022 death of Arlene Alvarez.
Earls will find out his sentence at a hearing on Wednesday morning. He’s facing two to 20 years in prison.
Today in the 182nd District Criminal Court, the jury sat as prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Tony Earls manslaughter case presented their side of the case.
It started with Judge Lacayo reading charges to the jury. Earls is being charged with manslaughter in the 2022 shooting of Arlene Alvarez. The Prosecutor in the case asked the jury to not leave common sense at the door. He argued that it’s not self defense that he “recklessly” gets out of the car and shoots at a vehicle. He left the jury with these questions during opening statements, “Is he aware of the risk that he’s going to shoot someone in that car? Is he aware that he’s making a decision to disregard that risk?”
Earles was trying to get money out of an ATM machine when suspects tried to rob him. There was an exchange of gunfire outside of the bank and later down the street. Defense attorneys said that the jury’ shouldn’t consider the what, but the why’. They implied that information on conversations between Earls and detectives were kept from the jury…