Law enforcement agencies and grand juries across the Panhandle handled several high-profile investigations this week, including a reported hate crime at West Texas A&M University and two major Randall County indictments.
WTAMU Police Investigating Reported Hate Crime
The West Texas A&M University Police Department is investigating an alleged hate crime involving intimidation that was reported Wednesday. Officials said the incident stemmed from a phone scam reported May 6 that allegedly occurred between May 4 and May 6, 2026, in the Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach (VERO) building and at an off-campus location.
University police described the case as involving threatening words or actions that caused a person to reasonably fear for their safety. Investigators said the incident is being treated as a hate crime because evidence suggests the victim may have been targeted based on actual or perceived race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, or disability.
Randall County Grand Jury Indicts Man in Deadly March Shooting
A Randall County Grand Jury has indicted 40-year-old James Dean Pena on four charges connected to a March 22 shooting that killed two people and injured three children.
The indictment includes one count of capital murder of multiple persons, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury to a family member, and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to police, Pena allegedly opened fire inside a home in the 2900 block of South Dallas before continuing to shoot after leaving the residence. Virgil Lee Thompson, 43, and Larry Jimenez, 44, died in the incident. Pena remains in the Randall County Detention Center while the investigation continues.
Grand Jury Indicts Amarillo Man on Attempted Capital Murder Charges
A Randall County grand jury has indicted Noel Aysaiah Garcia on two counts of attempted capital murder of multiple persons stemming from incidents near two Amarillo schools in September 2022.
Court documents allege Garcia drove around Oak Dale Elementary School with a loaded assault rifle and multiple loaded magazines while intending to kill two or more people. Prosecutors also allege Garcia later repeated the same actions outside Caprock High School that same day. Garcia is additionally scheduled to stand trial later this month on separate charges accusing him of threatening to kill Randall County Court at Law No. 1 Judge James Anderson and two Randall County deputies in May 2023.
