Man Faces Sentencing In Dallas Dragging Death
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The girlfriend of admitted killer Rogelio 'Roger' Belmonte testified on Tuesday about how the two accomplices robbed an elderly woman of her purse and dragged the victim from a truck, running her over before fleeing from the scene in March of last year. It all happened in the parking lot of the Walmart on Forest Lane in northeast Dallas.
Belmonte pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He now faces up to a life sentence in prison in the sentencing phase of the trial.
Sabra Leavy died from her injuries three days after she was dragged and left on the ground of the parking lot. The 76-year-old's family has been in court to watch the proceedings.
Kaitlin Edmonson, Belmonte's girlfriend, said that the defendant used a ruse to get the victim close to the vehicle. Edmonson testified that Belmonte apologized to Leavy for driving close to her car and her shopping cart. "He called her to the car. She walks up to the car and says it's okay," stated Edmonson, under questioning by the prosecutor, Dewey Mitchell. "He grabbed her purse and gassed the truck."
Edmonson has also pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery of an elderly person. She faces life in prison, but could also be sentenced to probation. The judge will decide her punishment.
"It seemed that we had ran over something when we drove off. I didn't know that we ran over her," Edmonson said.
Edmonson also testified that Belmonte was robbing numerous homes and businesses at the time, in order to get money to support his drug habit. She said that the defendant would rob houses by running his vehicle into victims' garages.
Testimony continues on Wednesday in Judge Carter Thompson's courtroom at the Frank Crowley Criminal Court Building.
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