Longoria sentenced to prison for aggravated assault using stolen big rig

A man who tried to use a stolen 18-wheeler to run over a police officer and a victim whose vehicle he had hit moments earlier will spend a minimum of 12 ½ years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

Judge W.C. Kirkendall, senior district judge for the 2nd 25th Judicial District, sentenced 35-year-old Johnny Ray Longoria Jr. in a pair of cases on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Longoria initially had been charged with two counts of attempt to commit capital murder of a peace officer or fireman, two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant, five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle and one count of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.

Kirkendall reviewed a presentence investigation report and heard testimony from one of Longoria’s victims, a volunteer firefighter. The majority of the victims and the testifying victim’s family also chose to be in the courtroom at sentencing to watch the defendant be sentenced after pleading guilty, First Assistant County Attorney David Smith said. Longoria was represented by Adrian Perez.

Longoria was sentenced on seven counts of aggravated assault to 25 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice — Institutional Division with an affirmative finding of the use of a deadly weapon. Due to this, he will be required to serve day for day for 12 ½ years before becoming eligible for parole.

He was also sentenced to 25 years for aggravated assault involving a fight with another inmate while in custody, and he was sentenced for assault on a public servant, in which he received the maximum of 20 years.  All sentences will run concurrent, or at the same time.

The charges against Longoria stem from an incident which occurred Oct. 8, 2022, when GPD officers were dispatched to the Circle G Truck Stop in reference to a hit-and-run incident. Officers were advised then that a subject had run on foot in an unknown direction.

It was while GPD Sgt. Cesar Martinez was on scene, speaking to the hit-and-run victim, that he observed an 18-wheeler traveling at a high rate of speed, neither slowing down nor making any effort to avoid striking the complainant or Sgt. Martinez.

The 18-wheeler then struck the victim’s vehicle as Sgt. Martinez and the victim managed to move frantically out of the way and avoid serious injury. The collision pushed the victim’s vehicle into a pasture on the opposite of the road as the 18-wheeler crossed US 183 traveling northbound with other officers in pursuit with lights and sirens blazing on their patrol cruisers.

The 18-wheeler began traveling on the opposite lane of traffic, striking several vehicles and entered Saint Joseph Street before coming to a stop, when a Hispanic male, later identified as Longoria, exited the 18-wheeler and ran into the 400 block of Village Drive.

Sgt. Martinez caught Longoria on foot and detained him, placing him under arrest and transporting him to the Gonzales County Jail. It turned out that Longoria had been the individual who reportedly had hit the victim’s car the first time and he had allegedly stolen the 18-wheeler and used it to hit the victim’s car the second time. Fortunately, neither Martinez nor the victim suffered any injuries in the incident.