Jose Melendez was found guilty of second-degree murder of Dalton White and aggravated assault of his ex-girlfriend Tasha Fuentes, White's mother, from a November 2019 shooting. He was sentenced to a total of 54 years in prison.
Melendez trial
PHOTOS: See Melendez' trial
- Jun 10, 2021
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Jose Melendez stood trial for the charge of first-degree murder of Dalton White and aggravated assault of Tasha Fuentes, White's mother, from …
Melendez was ordered to serve 34 years for second-degree murder and 20 years for aggravated assault, and “because of the horrible, unimaginable consequences that the victims will suffer, those sentences will run consecutively,” Judge Dal Williamson said.
“I’ve always heard that losing a child is the worst emotion that a human being can experience,” Williamson said during the sentencing. “It’s contrary to the natural order of life. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child and the pain of knowing that — barring a miracle from God — a person must live the rest of her life in the confinement of a chair, depending on the love and mercy of others to care for her every minute of every day.”
A jury composed of six white women, two black men, three black women and one white man deliberated for nearly two hours before delivering their verdict in Jones County Circuit Court on Monday. During a three-day trial that started Thursday, the jury heard testimony from 11 state witnesses, including Fuentes, who was paralyzed from the chest down and has limited mobility of her right arm after being shot in the neck by Melendez.
On Nov. 6, 2019, Fuentes and White were shot by Melendez at 27 Toombs Rd., in the Hoy Community, where Fuentes, Melendez and two of her children resided. Melendez left the scene, abandoned his car on 16th Avenue, ditched the gun on the side of Houston Road and fled to Morgan City, La. Morgan City police later apprehended Melendez at a relative’s home “hiding in a closet,” Investigator J.D. Carter of the Jones County Sheriff’s Department testified.
“This was not a case of self-defense,” Assistant District Attorney Kristen Martin said during closing arguments. “You all know the saying, ‘You can’t bring a gun to a fist fight.’ Well, you certainly can’t bring a gun to a verbal argument.”
Melendez was represented by Nathan Elmore, a Jackson attorney, and Martin and DA Tony Buckley prosecuted the case as Williamson presided.
This story will be updated Thursday in print and online at Leader-call.com.
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