by | Published
Robert Rene Rangel Jr., a 34-year-old from Kyle, has been sentenced by Judge Tracie Wright-Reneau of the 207th District Court on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Rangel was convicted by a jury in November for assault family violence – impeding (strangulation) repeat offender and assault family violence repeat offender.
The conviction stems from an incident in Kyle in November 2020 where Rangel placed his girlfriend in a chokehold, restricting her ability to breathe. This incident occurred in the presence of a young child.
Rangel had a prior history with the law, having been sentenced to prison previously for a similar strangulation case in 2014. He was facing severe punishment, with a first-degree felony on Count I and a second-degree felony on Count II. Rangel chose to have the Judge determine his punishment after the jury trial and applied for probation.
During the punishment phase, the State presented evidence of Rangel's three prior convictions for assault family violence, including one involving strangulation, as well as other convictions for offenses like terroristic threat and violation of a protective order. The Probation Department recommended prison time due to the nature of the offense and Rangel's history of non-compliance with probation.
Despite the State's recommendation of 20 years in prison, Judge Wright-Reneau sentenced Rangel to 8 years of probation.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Elizabeth Schmidt and Shelby Griffin prosecuted the case. Griffin emphasized the importance of holding Rangel accountable for his actions and reiterated the office's commitment to protecting victims of domestic violence.
"We appreciate the Jury held the defendant accountable for his violent actions. The District Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting victims of domestic violence. We will continue to vigorously prosecute these cases and do everything in our power to protect victims of domestic violence in our community," Griffin stated.
