TYLER, Texas — A Smith County jury has sentenced a Tyler man to life in prison for fatally shooting another man at a Tyler shopping center in December 2018.
Kristian Perdomo, 28, was found guilty of murder last Thursday in connection with the death of Bradley Brockman, 45, who was shot in the head on Dec. 16, 2018 at the Westwood Shopping Center in Tyler.
Jurors deliberated regarding Perdomo’s sentence for an hour and a half on Wednesday afternoon. He was also fined $10,000.
In 2018, bystanders saw a person with a hoodie and red bandana, later identified as Perdomo, park his vehicle, walk toward Brockman and shoot him. Perdomo left the scene and was later arrested on Highway 64.
Brockman was holding a sign asking for help and money while standing at the entrance of the shopping center.
Under Texas law, a person found guilty of murder faces five to 99 years in prison or life with the possibility of parole.
Because the jury found that Perdomo was convicted of other felonies, his range of punishment became 50 to 99 years or life in prison without parole.
According to criminal records online, Perdomo pleaded guilty to engaging in organized crime in 2010 and he was sentenced to six months in a state jail. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and received jail time.
In 2012, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to four years in prison. He pleaded guilty to robbery in the same year and received the same sentence, records show.
Perdomo will have to serve 30 years before becoming eligible for parole.
In closing arguments, Smith County Assistant District Attorney Noah Coltman asked the jurors to issue a life sentence, which he said was written for Perdomo.
Coltman said Brockman deserved to live and he “wasn’t doing anything to anybody except asking for help.”
Perdomo’s attorney Brett Harrison noted that Perdomo joined a gang out of a thirst for friendship in the sixth grade. He asked the jury to take into account the abuse that Perdomo and his mother experienced in his youth.
“We all know that Bradley Brockman deserved mercy. I understand that he (Perdomo) didn’t show it, but you know everyone needs mercy and that includes Kristian Perdomo. Justice without mercy is vengeance,” Harrison said.
During the sentencing phase, prosecutors also presented testimony that in addition to Brockman's murder, Perdomo allegedly committed the unsolved homicides of Mario Guzman (Dec. 7, 2018), Jhoel Sevilla (Dec. 9, 2018), Benny Jackson (Dec. 10, 2018) and Jerome Jones (Dec. 15, 2018).
Detective Josh Hill, who worked for the Smith County Sheriff’s Office in December 2018, testified all five shooting deaths were similar because most men were shot near their homes and shot in the head or face with the same weapon and ammunition.
Hill said at the time it became clear to law enforcement that investigators were looking for the same person. There became a joint effort approach to solve these homicides.
He testified that Brockman was shot in the head with the same weapon and ammunition as the other victims. Hill added it was extremely unusual to see that many homicides in a short time frame with several similarities.
Harrison said those four other pending homicide investigations don’t have DNA, physical description or vehicle information that connect to Perdomo. He added the jury can only consider the other homicides if they believe Perdomo committed them beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hill told the jury that during an interview after the Brockman shooting, Perdomo laughed when shown images of people who were killed. He also admitted to his involvement in a street gang.
When asked why he killed the five people, he said, “they didn’t have much to do with it,” Hill testified.
Perdomo asked Hill to not show his mom the photos of the dead people. Hill testified the series of homicides ended once Perdomo was arrested.
Hill said Perdomo cried when Hill mentioned the abuse he and his mother suffered as a child and said in the interview both his biological father and stepfather were both abusive.
Craig Williams, Tyler police crime scene investigator, testified during a search of Perdomo’s home he found handwritten rap lyrics inside his bedroom. The lyrics mentioned walking down the street in a hoodie and making people disappear.
