TYLER, Texas — A teenager accused of killing a 43-year-old man during an armed robbery in Tyler rejected a plea deal Thursday in court.
Da'Kavion Christian, who was 14 at the time of the robbery, is charged with capital murder in connection with the Oct. 22, 2022 death of Cornelius Tims, according to court documents.
On Thursday in the 475th District Court, Christian rejected a plea deal of 45 years in prison to drop the capital murder charge. His jury trial was then set for March 19 with a pre-trial hearing the previous day, court officials said.
The robbery happened in the 2400 block of North Broadway Ave. Tims was found on a sidewalk with gunshot wounds. Tims later died from his injuries, police said.
Tyler police detectives were given a directive to apprehend the teen, who has since been identified as Christian. He later turned himself in to law enforcement on a charge of capital murder. He was booked into the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center.
According to the Texas Penal Code, a person can be charged with capital murder if they killed someone while committing another felony, such as a robbery.