Erath County teen charged in shooting to be evaluated for mental competency before trial.

Diego Delacruz

By SARA VANDEN BERGE

An Erath County teen accused of shooting his uncle and a toddler in a domestic disturbance in June 2024 will undergo an evaluation to determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial.

Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash told Beneath the Surface News that Diego Delacruz was scheduled to go on trial in August, but the proceedings have been temporarily halted while the court determines Delacruz’s mental state.

He has been charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon/family violence and remains incarcerated at the Erath County Jail, held on a $225,000 bond.

According to the arrest affidavit, the incident began when Deputy Jake Gillispie with the Erath County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call on Sorrel Court where a man wearing nothing but a pair of black underwear was allegedly breaking windows and throwing rocks at cars.

The deputy said he then heard multiple gunshots and saw a man covered in blood and holding a baby running toward his patrol car, then observed a second male victim who appeared to have been shot lying on the ground, according to the report.

Delacruz fled on foot, but was apprehended a short time later by Stephenville police.

Both victims survived the shooting, and the child was struck by pellets.