The convictions stemmed from July and December 2024 incidents in Corpus Christi.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Carlos Lee Suarez Jr., 17, was sentenced to 45 years in prison after a Nueces County jury convicted him in a case involving threats to two juveniles and an attempted attack on a police officer.
The verdict and sentence ended a closely watched trial focused on violent felony accusations from 2024. Suarez was convicted of attempted capital murder of a peace officer, two aggravated assault counts and possession of a prohibited weapon. Prosecutors said the crimes happened before he turned 16.
The case began with allegations from July 7, 2024, when prosecutors said Suarez threatened two juveniles with a handgun. The most serious charge came from Dec. 7, 2024. Authorities said Suarez tried to shoot a Corpus Christi police officer while officers were attempting to arrest him.
During the punishment phase, jurors heard from the officer at the center of the attempted capital murder count. The officer testified that the encounter nearly ended with him being shot. Prosecutors used that testimony, along with other evidence, to argue for a long prison sentence.
Jurors also weighed evidence tied to the firearm. Authorities said Suarez possessed a handgun fitted with a Glock switch, a small device that can make a firearm fire automatically. That allegation led to the prohibited weapon conviction and reinforced prosecutors’ argument that the case involved serious danger to the public and police.
Because Suarez was 15 when the incidents happened, the case first raised questions about whether he would be handled in juvenile court. A judge allowed the case to proceed in adult criminal court, where the punishment range was far more severe. By the time of trial, Suarez was 17.
The jury found Suarez guilty on all four counts before moving to punishment. Sentencing deliberations stretched across more than one day before jurors returned the 45-year prison term. The sentence applies after the convictions on the attempted capital murder, aggravated assault and weapons charges.
The case remains one of the more serious recent local prosecutions involving a teenage defendant and a Corpus Christi police officer. With sentencing complete, the next step would be any post-trial motions or appeal filings made through the court system.
Author note: Last updated June 10, 2026.