MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS FOR GRIMES CO. MACHETE ATTACK AGAINST EX-GIRLFRIEND & HER BOYFRIEND

  

A man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after an attack with a machete against his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in Grimes County.

46-year-old Elpidio Deleon Gonzalez pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of Aggravated Assault Family Violence with a Weapon, a first degree felony, and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a second degree felony. 

The charges stem from an assault call in Shiro on November 17, 2024.  The Grimes County District Attorney’s Office reports that Gonzalez hid behind an air conditioning unit in the dark and waited for the couple to walk by before attacking from behind.  Both victims suffered “extreme lacerations, including severed fingers”, as they tried to defend themselves.

A witness called 911 to report the attack, which was also captured by surveillance footage from the Shiro Store.  The victims were treated at a hospital in Houston and survived. 

Law enforcement officials tracked Gonzalez to a location near Refugio, where they say he confessed to the attack and stated he was traveling to Mexico.

A jury was chosen for trial on Monday before Judge Gary Chaney.  The district attorney’s office showed evidence on Tuesday, which included testimony from the witness and a responding deputy, a recording of the 911 call, the surveillance video, and the store clerk who identified Gonzalez in the video.  

Both victims were present for sentencing, with one making an impact statement. 

Grimes County District Attorney Andria Bender called the attack “horrific” and said it “left both victims with injuries they will deal with forever.”  She said once Gonzalez is released from prison, he will be deported.