TYLER, Texas — A Tyler man has been found guilty of killing another man near the entrance of a shopping center in December 2018 following 40 minutes of jury deliberations.
Jurors found Kristian Leonardo Perdomo, 28, of Tyler, guilty of murder on Thursday afternoon 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.
He entered a not guilty plea Tuesday morning in the 114th District Court. Under Texas law, a person found guilty of murder faces five to 99 years in prison.
The sentencing phase of the trial is set to begin Friday at 10 a.m.
Bystanders recalled hearing a gunshot and seeing Brockman fall. Before the shooting, they saw a man wearing a hoodie and bandana get out of a silver car. That man then shot Brockman in the head, witnesses said.
Brockman was taken to a hospital for his injuries, but he later died. Perdomo was arrested soon after the shooting.
Body camera video showed Brockman’s hat, fountain drink and sign asking for money or help next to a gun shell casing. His sign read, “help me keep my kids dry.”
Perdomo was pulled over and arrested on Highway 64, near Loop 49. Inside the vehicle, officers found a receipt for .380 ammunition, a tablet and a cell phone.
Perdomo has been in the Smith County Jail since his December 2018 arrest on bonds totaling $2.25 million. In June 2020, Perdomo denied a plea agreement during a Zoom hearing.
At the time of Perdomo's arrest, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said Perdomo was likely involved in a string of shootings that also happened in December 2018. He has not been charged in connection with those incidents.
During the police investigation into Perdomo, police discovered he was a member of the Bloods street gang (a.k.a. Nortenos or North Side Bloods), according to documents.
