La Marque Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Fatal Shooting of Teen in Texas City

La Marque Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Fatal Shooting of Teen in Texas City
Joshua Calvert Blanks Jr.

A Galveston County jury sentenced Joshua Calvert Blanks Jr., of La Marque, to 25 years in prison on January 15, 2025, for the murder of 19-year-old Johnathan Rodriguez.

The case stemmed from a May 31, 2023, shooting in Texas City, where police responded to reports of gunfire in the 400 block of 1st Avenue North. Officers stopped a vehicle en route to the scene and discovered a young man with gunshot wounds to the leg and chest. Following an investigation, Blanks was arrested and indicted for murder.

Blanks’ trial began on January 6, 2025, with Chief Assistant District Attorney Kate Willis and Assistant District Attorney Michael Rinehart presenting evidence, including surveillance and witness videos that captured the incident. Witnesses, including the victim’s girlfriend, testified that a group of teenagers had gathered in a field for a fight between girls when Blanks approached Rodriguez, grabbed him by his jacket, and began firing.

Medical Examiner Dr. Erin Barnhart testified that the gunshot wound to Rodriguez’s chest was immediately fatal, stating that he could have survived for “maybe minutes.” The jury also learned that while Rodriguez had a firearm, it remained in his waistband and was never drawn.

Blanks took the stand, claiming self-defense, but under cross-examination admitted that Rodriguez’s hands were raised and empty when he fired the fatal shot. Prosecutors also introduced evidence of Blanks’ multiple prior felony convictions, which prohibited him from possessing a firearm.

After two days of deliberation, the jury found Blanks guilty of murder. During the sentencing phase, Rinehart presented judgments for seven prior felony convictions and evidence that Blanks assaulted two deputies while in custody awaiting trial.

In closing arguments, Willis told the jury, “The only person in imminent danger was Johnathan Rodriguez, the only person entitled to self-defense was Johnathan Rodriguez, and the only person guilty of murder is Joshua Blanks.”

Blanks was sentenced to 25 years in prison.