The Brief
- Yasmir Reyes was on trial for felony murder after he allegedly ran a red light while fleeing police on June 13, 2022. The resulting T-bone crash killed Chaz Joubert, a 27-year-old rideshare driver, and injured a 16-year-old passenger.
- The prosecution rested its case after an HPD crash expert and county forensic examiner testified in the trial. Defense Attorney Jimmy Ortiz made a motion to mistrial after learning his client’s leg shackles were visible to the jurors.
- Family members of the victim in this case spoke exclusively to FOX 26 about the decision.
Houston – The criminal trial of Yasmir Reyes, who is charged with felony murder and aggravated assault following a deadly 2022 police chase, was ruled a mistrial after a motion by the defense was granted by the judge. Attorney Jimmy Ortiz argued that his client’s leg shackles were visible to the jurors at the time of the trial. Earlier Wednesday, the trial was moving forward with key testimony from a Houston Police Department (HPD) crash reconstruction expert. Detective Jason Baker detailed the extreme speed and mechanics of the collision, telling the jury the defendant’s car T-boned the victim’s vehicle after running a red light.
The 2022 crash
The backstory:
The defendant, Reyes, is accused of causing the death of 27-year-old rideshare driver, Chaz Joubert, and severely injuring his 16-year-old passenger after his black Ford Mustang, allegedly fleeing police, crashed into Joubert’s white Chevrolet Malibu.
Judge Denise Collins is presiding over the trial. …