Micheaux's Southern Cuisine brings flavor - Page 4
The Marshall boys' track team celebrates after winning the Class 5A state track and field team title. See page 3
WEDNESDAY • MAY 17, 2023
Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 48 • No. 32 • $1.00
Visit www.FortBendStar.com
Man sentenced to 50 years in prison for murder of ex-girlfriend By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
LOOK INSIDE
HUMANE SOCIETY PET OF THE WEEK
Page 2 JEANNE GREGORY REALTOR®, CRS, GRI, ABR
A Fort Bend County jury last week convicted Sheldon Vashawn Magee, 50, of murder and sentenced him to 50 years in prison for the 2009 shooting death of his former girlfriend, according to prosecutors. During the trial, ju-
rors heard testimony from the manager of a Sugar Land hotel that on Aug. 11, 2019, he called 911 after a hotel guest reported that a man was holding a crying woman by the shirt as she tried to get away in the parking lot. The manager testified that she went outside and found Kiva Herrera sitting on the ground and
holding her hands together as if in prayer. When the manager asked Herrera if everything was all right, the woman told her that she and Magee were having a "misunderstanding." But, the manager testified, the woman looked frightened, so she backed away to call the police.
Two eyewitnesses testified that they saw Magee holding Herrera by the shirt while holding a handgun. They both testified that they saw Magee point the weapon at her, shoot her, and walk away. When police arrived, a gunshot was heard, according to the press release. The hotel manager told the officers
that Magee had a weapon. A Sugar Land police officer testified that he saw Magee point the weapon at him and they
Sheldon Wilfred Vashawn Magee, 48, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the shooting death of Kiva Herrera, his ex-girlfriend, in 2019. Courtesy Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office. SEE MURDER PAGE 7
IMPERIAL DRAMA CONTINUES
SOUTHWEST
713-854-0923 Each Office Independently Owned & Operated
Wildlife photographer
to share experiences at Missouri City A Facebook posting referencing the redevelopment of the Imperial property was the subject of an ethics complaint against a P&Z Commission member. library on (Photo by Ken Fountain) May 30 Sugar Land ethics panel reject's mayor's complaint against P&Z member Staff Reports
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Award-winning wildlife photographer Chris Narvaez will share his expertise and experience at a special program, “Wildlife Adventure Photography,” at Fort Bend County Libraries’ Missouri City Branch Library on Saturday, May 20, from 2-3 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the library. Narvaez will share his adventures capturing breathtaking wildlife images from around the world. He will provide tips on preparing for a photography trip, selecting equipment, taking action shots, and enhancing photographs. A member of the Fort Bend Photography Club, Narvaez specializes in action photographs of animals and birds. Photographers of all experience levels, from amateur to seasoned professional, will gain insight into what it takes to capture an outstanding photograph. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Missouri City Branch Library (281-238-2100) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734)
The city of Sugar Land's ethics review board unanimously voted last week to dismiss a complaint that Mayor Joe Zimmerman filed against a member of the city's Planning & Zoning Commission, Sapana Patel. Patel, a Realtor, was one of four P&Z members who
in February voted against a planned redevelopment of the Imperial Char House and surrounding district, resulting in a tie that was effectively a rejection. The next week, a super-majority of City Council voted to overturn the P&Z vote, allowing the proposal to move forward. The Council had already pledged up to $5 million in reimbursements to PUMA Development, the Houston-
based firm that plans to redevelop the long-dormant Imperial property into a mixed-used development that would include office space, retails and restaurant spaces, and multi-family housing. The project drew intense interest, including vocal opposition from nearby residents who objected to the number of planned apartments. Before the final Council vote, Patel posted a video on
her professional Facebook page saying that "big changes" were coming to the area and asked viewers to contact her to discuss their "next move." In his official complaint, filed in February, Zimmerman said the posting was in violation of Patel's ethical responsibility to her position on the board. The complaint had a protracted tour through the process of the ethics review
board, a group of citizens charged with reviewing complaints made against city officials, elected or not. After an initial hearing on February 22 in which they voted that it warranted investigation, the board set a April 25 date to hear from the parties. At the April 25 hearing, Zimmerman, appearing SEE SUGAR LAND PAGE 5
Outgoing Missouri City police chief bids "bittersweet" farewell By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Missouri City Police Chief Mike Berezin is leaving after serving the city for 34 years. (Courtesy City of Missouri City)
After more than three decades serving the residents of Missouri City, outgoing Police Chief Mike Berezin is heading home. Well, close enough. Berezin, who this week concludes his 34-year tenure with the Missouri City Police Department, will shortly thereafter begin as chief of police in Dickinson in Brazoria County, next door to Galveston County, where he grew up. Berezin joined the Missouri City Police Department as a 23-year-old
rookie policeman in 1989, when he was already married with three children. At that time, the city's police officers and firefighters were cross-trained to perform each others jobs, and he remained in that capacity until in the mid-1990s when the departments were formally separated. Berezin steadily moved up the ranks from patrol officer to sergeant, crime scene investigator, detective, lieutenant, and assistant police chief. When former Chief Joel Fitzgood left the position in 2013 to return to his home state of Pennsylvania, Berezin was named
interim police chief until being appointed to the permanent role in July 2014. Berezin said he was not actively looking for another job. But he and his family often visited his "old stomping grounds" in Galveston County, and when the position in Dickinson opened up, he thought it was time to make a change. "It's bittersweet," Berezin said of leaving the city where he's worked virtually his entire life. But going back with his wife to a place much closer to where they grew up was an opportunity he felt he couldn't pass up, he said. "It's time, and it's a good fit," he said.
Berezin said he's enjoyed his entire career in Missouri City. He credits the attitude of the personnel, who he said have an overriding sense of serving the population with a high degree of professionalism. He said residents have returned that professionalism with respect. Especially in recent years when relationships between police and the populace around the country have undergone a lot of turmoil, Berezin said Missouri City residents have had overwhelmingly positive attitudes toward officers. SEE POLICE PAGE 4
FREE PATRIOTIC CONCERT • SUNDAY NIGHT • HONORING OUR FALLEN HEROES May 28th at 7:30pm | Sugar Land Town Square | Bring the family!