TYLER, Texas — Prosecutors presented evidence to the jury Tuesday that a Tyler man convicted of fatally shooting another man in December 2018 may be responsible for four other shooting deaths, while also highlighting his criminal record and alleged gang affiliations.
Kristian Leonardo Perdomo, 28, of Tyler, 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.
His sentencing phase began Friday morning and continued Tuesday. Under Texas law, a person found guilty of murder faces five to 99 years in prison.
When bystanders saw a person with a hoodie and red bandana, later identified as Perdomo, shoot Brockman, Perdomo left the scene and was later arrested on Highway 64. At the time of the shooting, Brockman was holding a sign that read, “help me keep my kids dry.”
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.
On Friday and Tuesday, prosecutors called witnesses regarding the unsolved shooting death cases of Mario Guzman (Dec. 7, 2018), Jhoel Sevilla (Dec. 9, 2018), Benny Jackson (Dec. 10, 2018) and Jerome Jones (Dec. 15, 2018).
Tyler Police Department officer Craig Williams, who served as a crime scene investigator for both the Jackson and Brockman shooting deaths, testified there was a shell casing found next to Jackson’s body at his home entrance and another casing in the yard.
Williams said this was the same ammunition used to kill Brockman, and that fact provides a significant connection to who might be responsible.
He testified there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence found that connected Perdomo to that area or Jackson’s death. No arrest or grand jury indictment has been made in this 2018 death.
A firearm expert testified the gun that killed Brockman and bullet casings from the other deaths match each other. She said there’s no doubt that the same gun fired those shots as well.
Jamie Tarrant, a crime scene investigator, testified about fingerprints collected when Perdomo was indicted and pleaded guilty to charges like engaging in organized crime, robbery, assault and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
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.
Tarrant testified Perdomo’s previous guilty pleas and sentences involved indictments or arrests, but this was not the case for the four other shooting deaths.
Chris Miller, an investigator with the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, testified using his experience with the East Texas Anti-Gang Center and the Tyler Police Department. He said there are 38 different gangs in the Tyler and Smith County area.
He said bandanas like the one Perdomo was wearing when he shot Brockman are a form of gang identification. The jury was shown images of Perdomo’s tattoos and Miller said several seemed to have gang connections and symbolism.
Testimony will continue Wednesday morning.
