Felix Hernandez Cisneros v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided June 25, 2014·No. 05-12-01532-CR·Published

Opinion

AFFIRM; and Opinion Filed June 25, 2014.

Court of Appeals S In The

Fifth District of Texas at Dallas No. 05-12-01532-CR

FELIX HERNANDEZ CISNEROS, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the 291st Judicial District Court Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. F11-60536-U

MEMORANDUM OPINION Before Justices Bridges, Francis, and Lang-Miers Opinion by Justice Bridges Appellant Felix Hernandez Cisneros appeals from his conviction for aggravated sexual

assault, enhanced by a prior conviction, 1 and accompanying sentence of life in prison. In two

issues, appellant contends: (1) the evidence was legally insufficient to support his conviction and

(2) the trial court erred when it refused to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of

misdemeanor assault. We affirm.

Background

Leonra Casares and appellant married in July of 2011. 2 On October 1, 2011, Leonra

hosted a garage sale at appellant’s cousin’s house. Following the garage sale, Leonra went home

and wanted to rest because she was tired and did not feel well. Appellant awakened Leonra and

1 Appellant was previously convicted of aggravated sexual assault in 1997. 2 The record reflects Leonra’s divorce from appellant was finalized about one month prior to appellant’s trial. indicated he wanted to go out. Leonra testified she told him she did not want to go out, but

appellant insisted.

Appellant and Leonra arrived at a nearby club, Sweetwater, around 9:00 p.m. Appellant

ordered a bucket of beer, and they waited for friends that were supposed to meet them there.

Leonra testified she still was not feeling well and was tired, which made appellant upset. She

stated appellant “kept on drinking and drinking and drinking.” Appellant offered Leonra a beer

multiple times, but she indicated she did not feel like drinking. Appellant got angry and told her

she was going to drink. Leonra explained she ultimately drank three beers that night. When

appellant danced with Leonra, he accused her of flirting with the musicians. They left the club

around 2:00 a.m. Leonra said she cried because she did not feel well and did not have a good

time. She sat in the truck, crying for about ten minutes, when they got home. Appellant went

inside, leaving the door unlocked.

Leonra eventually went into their home and started to undress in the bedroom. All of a

sudden, she felt a punch on her head. Appellant and Leonra fell onto the bed. Positioned on top

of her, appellant hit Leonra on the face multiple times and punched her in the stomach. They fell

to the floor as he kept hitting her. Appellant pinned her down where she couldn’t move her

arms.

While on the floor, appellant removed Leonra’s clothes and opened her legs. She tried to

push him away, but he put his penis inside her vagina. Appellant had a box cutter and held it to

her vagina. Leonra testified, “[h]e kept asking me if I wanted to die and that [he] was going to

kill me. He was sorry, but he was going to kill me.” Leonra said she thought she was going to

die. Appellant also put the box cutter against her neck.

Appellant pulled Leonra from the floor and told her to lean on the bed. When she did, he

penetrated her anus with his penis. He then threw her onto the bed and told her to turn around.

–2– When Leonra refused, appellant told her she was “going to die.” Appellant pulled her hair,

grabbed her arm and tried to force her to turn around. He then got tired and they lay on the bed,

but appellant kept his arm around Leonra’s neck. With the other hand, he held the box cutter

against her neck. Leonra explained appellant was a light sleeper, so every time she tried to

move, he would squeeze harder on her neck.

Leonra tried to get up, because she was choking on her own blood. She begged appellant

to let her go to the bathroom. When he did, appellant held the box cutter to Leonra’s back, while

Leonra threw water at herself. Leonra asked appellant to get her something to drink, something

for pain and something to wear. He brought her a white t-shirt and panties. Appellant then went

into the bedroom, dressed and changed the sheets on the bed. He took Leonra to the bedroom

and lay her on the bed and said he knew she would “never forgive [him] for this.” Leonra

testified she told him “everything was going to be okay.”

By this time, it was light outside and appellant left. When he was gone, Leonra got off

the bed and grabbed a pair of scissors for protection. She ran out the door and went to her

neighbors’ home. When she knocked, nobody answered. Leonra turned and pushed the knob,

and the door opened. When she entered the neighbors, she said, “Please, please, help me. He’s

going to kill me. He’s going to kill me.” She also told them to lock the doors. The neighbors

then called the police.

The police arrived five to seven minutes later. She told the officers what had transpired

and provided them with appellant’s description. An ambulance arrived to transport Leonra to

Parkland Hospital. Before she left for the hospital, the police had appellant in custody. Leonra

asked for her cell phone, and someone retrieved it from appellant. She called her daughter.

Leonra also called appellant’s father and sister, telling them appellant had “beat [her] up real

bad.” She did not tell them about the rape. Leonra testified that, in addition to being raped,

–3– appellant knocked out one of her teeth and she suffered a broken nose, three broken ribs, a

fractured wrist and multiple bruises. A rape kit examination was performed at the hospital.

Leonra testified she told the police appellant had ejaculated in her anus.

Demetrice Hardeman, a 911 operator for the City of Dallas, testified she received the 911

call in connection with the instant offense. She affirmed that she understood there was an

allegation made of “someone being beaten up or threatened.” She did not hear an allegation of

sexual assault.

Officer George Francis of the Dallas Police Department testified he and his partner were

the first officers to arrive at the scene. Francis interviewed Leonra, who stated she “was

assaulted” and “was also sexually assaulted by the suspect.” Leonra told Francis that “the

suspect stated that he wanted to put his dick in her mouth and in her butt.” Francis described

Leonra as hysterically crying and also bleeding. Francis received appellant’s name and

description from Leonra. Francis requested the paramedics transport Leonra to Parkland

Hospital for a rape kit examination.

Following the interview, officers observed appellant walking down the driveway.

Appellant’s clothing matched the description of the suspect. The officers walked up to him and

asked his name. Appellant was compliant with the officers and was not armed. Officers arrested

appellant, who was later charged with aggravated sexual assault.

Dr. Evelyna Alcalen, a physician in the obstetrics and gynecology emergency room at

Parkland Hospital, testified Leonra was initially treated for her physical injuries. Later that

evening, Alcalen performed a sexual assault examination. Leonra reported she had been

penetrated vaginally and anally and that appellant had ejaculated. Leonra also reported that,

prior to the instant sexual assault, she had consensual sexual intercourse on September 28, 2011.

Leonra further reported she was forced to drink three Bud Lights that night. Alcalen noted the

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