A young man was sentenced to 25 years in prison due to his part in an armed robbery that took a fatal turn.
Tyderion Berry, 22, was one of two suspects arrested for an armed robbery that occurred in Fort Worth on January 8, 2018. Together with Marquis Sypho, 26, Berry allegedly walked into the Save A Lot grocery store at 5519 James Ave. and robbed the store clerks at gunpoint.
Berry and Sypho were interrupted by Raymond Huerta, 26, who had gone to the store with his wife Jackie, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.
“My husband showed his love for me ’til his last breath,” Jackie said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Raymond intervened, trying to thwart the theft, but was allegedly shot by Sypho multiple times.
In what Assistant District Attorney William Knight described during Sypho’s capital murder trial this March as “the actions of a cold-blooded killer,” Sypho violently beat Jackie, who had rushed to her husband’s defense, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
After emptying the store’s safe, Sypho and Berry were caught on video surveillance footage celebrating the robbery outside the store with two women.
Sypho was sentenced to life without parole for Raymond’s murder. Berry pled guilty to one count of murder for his involvement in the fatal shooting and will serve 25 years, according to the district attorney’s office.
In nearby Dallas, the murder rate continues to soar. As of November 6, 213 murders and non-negligent homicides have been logged in 2023 by the Dallas Police Department, according to the City’s crime overview dashboard. This represents an 11.5% year-over-year increase, countering local authorities’ best efforts to bring down violent crime.
DPD has struggled to curb crime rates overall due to an ongoing officer shortage. Fewer than 3,200 officers are currently sworn in, whereas a prior analysis found that approximately 4,000 were needed to effectively police a city the size of Dallas.
Although Dallas residents citywide have reported feeling unsafe in public spaces due to the lack of police, the brunt of the officer shortage is most apparent in Downtown Dallas. The neighborhood logs significantly more crime than nearby downtown Fort Worth, which is reportedly patrolled by dedicated police units and private security guards.