DNA testing of convict remains requested: Page 3
Marshall’s Alontai Brewer scores the winning touchdown in overtime. See story on page 12.
WEDNESDAY • SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
Visit www.FortBendStar.com
Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 43 • No. 4
Rep. Ron Reynolds goes to jail Missouri City Rep serving time for 2015 ambulance chasing conviction
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McElvy Media, owner of Fort Bend Star, buys Greensheet From staff reports FOR THE FORT BEND STAR
The parent company of the Fort Bend Star just got bigger. McElvy Media Group, owners of the Fort Bend Star and the Fort Bend Business Journal, completed the purchase of The Greensheet in August. The Greensheet was founded by Helen Gordon in 1970. Her daughter, Kathy Douglass, has been president of the company since 1993. The Greensheet is a targeted advertising publication that distributes more than 500,000 copies in Houston and Dallas, in 19 separate zones each week. In addition, TheGreensheet.com garners more than 1 million page views monthly. McElvy Media Group owns community newspapers in Houston and in Charlotte, N.C. In Houston, it publishes The Leader, the Fort Bend Star and the Fort Bend Business Journal. In Charlotte, it publishes the South Charlotte Weekly, Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly and Union County Weekly. Jonathan McElvy, Frank Vasquez, Robb Reeves and Douglas McElvy will be owners of a new company, MVR Publishing, that will operate the Greensheet Media and its affiliated businesses. Dirks, Van Essen, Murray & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, N.M., represented Greensheet Media in the transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “My dream has been for The Greensheet to celebrate a 100-year anniversary and the sale of the company keeps this dream alive,” Douglass said. The decision to sell was difficult emotionally because after 48 years, it will no longer be a part of our family. I have faith and confidence that Jonathan McElvy, Frank Vasquez, Robb Reeves and Douglas McElvy will have success and carry the business into the future.” My partners and I are honored that we’ve been able to work with Kathy to continue the rich legacy she and her mother Helen have built for almost 50 years,” Jonathan McElvy said. “The Greensheet brand, in both Houston and Dallas, is a tremendous asset, and we understand there’s great responsibility in developing new and creative ways to leverage that brand.”
State Rep. Ron Reynolds, pictured here speaking at an event in Missouri City, turned himself in Friday to begin serving a one-year jail sentence in Montgomery County for a 2015 conviction for ambulance chasing. (Photo by Joe Southern)
After exhausting his appeals, State Rep. Ronald Reynolds turned himself in to Montgomery County authorities Friday to begin serving up to a year in jail. He told court officials, “he wishes to begin his time in custody as soon as possible,” according to court documents which stated Reynolds was not considered to be a flight risk. The Missouri City Democrat lost his appeal on
misdemeanor charges of ambulance chasing. He was convicted in 2015 of barratry, commonly called ambulance chasing. He was one of eight Houston area lawyers charged in 2015 with the offense and the only one who did not accept a plea. He represented himself in court. In November, a three-panel appellate court upheld the initial decision by Montgomery County jurors that he worked with a convicted felon to solicit clients for his law firm. Texas law states that attorneys cannot contact clients within a 30-day period of an
SEE REYNOLDS, PAGE 15
Two dead in shooting at Relatives of shooting victim suing Ben E. Keith Company for $25 million Missouri City apartment By Michelle Leigh Smith FOR THE FORT BEND STAR
The family of a workplace shooting victim in Missouri City has filed a $25 million lawsuit against Ben E. Keith Company, claiming the company failed to provide adequate security despite previous threats of workplace violence. Francisco Joel Reyes, 31, was shot to death early on the morning of Aug. 20 at the company’s Missouri City facility. Reyes was killed when Kristine Peralez, 29, drove through an open gate and walked into the warehouse with a loaded semi-automatic handgun. After entering the property, Peralez began firing, killing Reyes with multiple gunshot wounds and wounding another co-worker, Fredencio Janas in the leg. Next, she walked outside the building and was engaged by Missouri City police officer Valery Elias. Gunfire was exchanged and Peralez was shot in the chest. She was taken to Memorial Hermann and pronounced dead soon thereafter. The family of Reyes called Benny Agosto Jr., a leader in the Hispanic community and
founder of the Mexican American Bar Association. In a press release issued on Wednesday, Agosto Reyes alleges that Ben E. Keith had employed a security company in response to threats of workplace violence until a month before the shooting. The suit alleges that “this tragic and preventable shooting” was the result. Michele Pena, as the representative of the estate of her late husband and mother of their three children, and Maria Louisa Reyes Ortega, the mother of Francisco Reyes, brought the suit against the food company and the estate of Peralez. “Our investigation so far has revealed that Ben E. Keith Company failed to provide adequate security on the premises,” said Agosto, a partner at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz. “The duty to make the property safe for their employees and invitees was reasonable and necessary, but unfortunately it was ignored. “Our investigation so far has led us to the fact that there had
been prior threats of violence at the workplace,” Agosto said. “Those earlier threats were not from the shooter. It had nothing to do with the folks involved. The prior threats did have something to do with another coworker. As soon as we get the discovery process in place, we will have sworn testimony to prove up the facts. “There is no doubt that the defendant, BEK, has now began the process of hiring security once again at the premises. It is unexplainable why they had dropped the security on the premises given the multiple threats of violence at the workplace. “Possible motives by the shooter are still uncertain,” Agosto said. “However, we have discovered that there was some kind of dispute within the company as a result of some demotion that her husband had received. Her husband was also a coworker and was working that night on the premises. We intend to investigate and get to the bottom of all these facts, as we begin the formal discovery process.” Craig Woodcock, general counsel for Ben E. Keith Company, did not respond to requests for comment.
By Michelle Leigh Smith FOR THE FORT BEND STAR
Two people are dead following a murder and police-involved shooting Sunday night at the Quail Valley Apartments in Missouri City. It is the second time in less than a month that a woman has been shot dead after shooting a man she knew well. According to police, Dereshia Blackwell, 39, rammed the security gate at Quail Valley Apartments Sunday night, hitting two parked cars, barging into the apartment of Karl Gomez, 65, and killing him. She had two weapons, a semi-automatic handgun and a knife. On Aug. 20, Kristina Peralez gunned down her boss, Francisco Reyes, in the warehouse at the Ben E. Keith Company. She allegedly shot herself in the chest after a police officer opened fire on her. While police do not believe there was any romantic entanglement in the Reyes’ shooting, Gomez and Blackwell knew each other. “It was something they got into,” said Eliset Aguirre, manager of the 176-unit Quail Valley Apartments at 1800 FM
1092 at Lexington. “We are working with detectives to find more answers.” Capt. Paul Poulton with the Missouri City Police Department said Blackwell emerged from Gomez’ apartment, wielding the handgun and a large knife. “Our units were on the scene almost immediately due to the previous 911 calls about the rammed cars on the premises,” Poulton said. “Blackwell ignored repeated orders to drop her weapons. She refused any voice commands. An officer deployed a taser and she still did not release her weapons. Our officers fired multiple shots and she was pronounced dead at the scene.” “Neighbors describe Gomez as a very nice gentleman. They did not have too many good things to say about her (Blackwell),” Poulton said. The toxicology screen will take several weeks but Poulton expected to have the cause of death on both of the deceased by Tuesday. “It’s very strange to have two so close together,” he observed. “I’ve been here for 27 years. We’ve had domestic disturbances that resulted in a shooting but to have two like this is completely out of the norm.”
Clubbies are the unsung heroes in Skeeters clubhouse By Joe Southern JSOUTHERN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The most valuable player in the Sugar Land Skeeters clubhouse doesn’t hit, catch, or throw. He does the laundry. More than that, Clubhouse Manager Ryan Bittle is the go-to guy whenever the players need or want anything that will make their lives just a little bit easier. “We do anything from store runs for players that don’t have vehicles or can’t get around. We’ll take guys to and from the hotel. If they need to eat we’ll go grab them something to eat,” Bittle said. Bittle, his brother Eric Bittle, and their assistants, Jacob Popoff and Jose Martinez, are the unsung heroes who keep the Skeeters baseball machine running six months of the year. Ryan manages the Skeeters clubhouse and Eric manages the visitor’s clubhouse. Ryan Bittle, 27, is in his 12th season of
professional baseball. “I started as a batboy in 2006 in Camden (N.J.) in the Atlantic League. I was with them from 2006 to 2014 and came to Sugar Land in 2015, my first year here,” he said, noting this is his seventh year as a clubhouse manager. “I love it here. This is the best place I’ve ever been; obviously it’s the best place in the league, beautiful, the fans, the whole organization treats you really good, treats you like family. I kind of see us as one big family here.” “They do an amazing job. You know, they’re here every day early, staying late. They put their life effort into it,” said pitching coach Cory Domel. “You can tell they have commitment to it. They work hard and they want to keep us happy. Those are the main things. They have a lot of passion for what they do.” The days are long and hard for the clubbies, as they are called.
SEE CLUBBIES, PAGE 13
Sugar Land Skeeters Clubhouse Manager Ryan Bittle, center, and his assistant, Jacob Popoff, right, watch part of game from the Skeeters dugout. (Photo by Joe Southern)
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accident. The offense is punishable by up to a year in prison. As a result of the conviction, he was not allowed to practice law and eventually filed bankruptcy since he was barred from making a living as a lawyer. He said at the time this would allow him to spend more time with his constituents. Reynolds has been a champion of the fight to bring single-member districts to the Fort Bend County Indepen-
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