Liberty County man sentenced to life in prison after brutal assault

Liberty County jury found Jorge Pineda Guzman guilty of Aggravated Assault – family violence with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury.

He was sentenced to a life term in prison on Aug. 16, following a trial presided over by Judge Chap Cain of the 253rd Judicial District Court. The trial took place over three days.

Evidence was presented by Liberty County District Attorney Jennifer Bergman, along with Assistant District Attorney Nicole Washington, demonstrating that Guzman attacked his former girlfriend at her home. During the trial, the victim testified that Guzman entered her home despite her protests and that he was heavily intoxicated during the incident.

After entering the victim’s home, Guzman attacked her, ripping her clothing from her body before breaking her cellular phone and repeatedly hitting her with a wooden broomstick.

She was then forced to the ground, where she placed her arms in front of her face and chest in a defensive stance.

According to the victim, the attack was so violent that the broomstick used during the attack broke into pieces, prompting Guzman to grab a second broomstick. Once obtained, Guzman continued to beat the victim, ultimately breaking the second broomstick.

The victim was eventually able to kick Guzman away. After doing so, she ran outside into almost total darkness, screaming for help.

She recounted that Guzman began pursuing her once she ran outside. She stated that her closest neighbor turned off their porch light once she began screaming for help.

Guzman continued pursuing her into her yard and the street, hitting her repeatedly as she struggled to escape. The victim then tripped, falling face down into the ditch near her home. She recalled Guzman standing over her, checking for any signs of movement or life. At that point, she realized that she needed to pretend to be dead if she wanted to survive.

She recounted this detail to jurors through tears. Eventually, Guzman walked away, returning to the victim’s home. She had been left naked and beaten in a ditch next to the roadway. She stated that she lost consciousness at one point, blacking out, before crawling to the only house with an outdoor light on at the time.

She knocked on the front door of the home and the neighbor heard her pleas for help. The neighbor testified that she opened the door finding the victim on the porch, naked and beaten. She stated that she immediately offered the victim a blanket to cover herself and called for help.

Officers from Liberty County Sheriff ’s Office arrived shortly after at the neighbor’s home. Deputy Noe Chavez testified at trial about the incident, the injuries he observed on the victim’s body, and what the victim told him had occurred.

Chavez counted more than 16 strikes caused by the broomstick, evident on the victim’s back. He called for an ambulance once he realized she needed immediate medical attention. She was then taken to a hospital.

Chavez also stated that he and another deputy then located the victim’s home, where they observed Guzman sleeping. They observed broken pieces of the broomsticks used in the attack scattered throughout the room. Chavez and his partner woke Guzman, arresting him for the assault.

Photographs of the victim’s battered body were presented at the trial and the jury heard testimony from one of the doctors who worked on the victim’s injuries. In addition to the obvious strike wounds, the victim suffered a broken arm and fractured elbow, one of which required surgical intervention and a metal rod placement in her forearm, allowing her to regain movement.

After the jury rendered the guilty verdict, the state presented Guzman’s criminal history during the punishment phase.

His criminal history included a 2012 conviction for assault – family violence in Harris County, a 2022 conviction for DWI in Montgomery County and a 2022 conviction for assault – bodily injury in Harris County.

Testimony was given by the victim in the 2012 domestic violence assault. She recounted the beating she suffered at Guzman’s hands. The jury, lastly, heard testimony from the victim regarding how this incident has changed her life, destroying many aspects of her life, both physically and psychologically.

“Jorge Pineda Guzman posed a clear and present danger to every member of our community,” stated Liberty County District Attorney Jennifer Bergman. “ The office of Liberty County District Attorney is the barrier between violent offenders and the citizens of our community. I am thankful that we have officers like Noe Chavez, paramedics like Diane Clark, and neighbors like the one who testified here, who were all willing to do their part in ensuring the safety of our victim and also ensuring that Jorge Pineda Guzman will never again walk our streets. Further, I want to express my gratitude to our jurors who understood the importance of their decision when they handed down their verdict, the life sentence the defendant so clearly deserved.”

Bergman added that she wanted to commend both victims for coming forward and “ having the courage and strength to face their abuser and tell their story.”

“It is my hope that their strength will encourage others to come forward and speak the truth,” said Bergman.