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Texas Judge Gives 18-Year-Old 25 Years for Armed Nederland Store Robbery

Citing jail fights alongside a high-risk assessment, the judge rejected probation to prioritize public safety.

Overview

  • Caden James Fontenette pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an October robbery at the Bulldog Express in Nederland, Texas.
  • Surveillance video shown in court depicted three assailants roughing up a clerk and pointing what appeared to be rifles at his face.
  • Judge Raquel West said pre-sentence findings and jail incident reports showed repeated violence, labeling Fontenette a high-risk offender.
  • The sentence makes Fontenette eligible for parole after serving half of the 25-year term, roughly 12.5 years.
  • Chief prosecutor Tommy Coleman urged a long sentence to deter gun violence, and courtroom deputies intervened after the defendant’s family reacted to the ruling.