CourtListener is sponsored by the non-profit Free Law Project. Carter would always joke, If I were ever going to steal a deposit it would be after Black Friday or Tax Free Weekend.'. Fort Worth Police Detective Jerry Cedillo was staking out the apartment on the morning of November 29 when he saw Cervantes and Mallory get in her car and drive to the Hulen Mall. Fired One week later Cravey called Cervantez. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. Clarence and Carter wereboth charged with capital murder. He also described seeing the dark-colored vehicle driving away shortly after hearing Ashleas front door close. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County Medical. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. Another apartment in the complex was on fire. Prosecutors showed video surveillance from Home Depot a week before Ashlea Harris was murdered. The scream was followed by a loud thud and he, could hear labored breathing. After work, Ashlea returned to herapartment around 3.15am and Alexis called over for a few minutes. She quickly walks away. We When Ashlea arrived for work she discovered that a theft had occurred sometime overnight. He forced her to enter and rob American Eagle at gunpoint and threatened to kill her family if she didnt do what he asked. He spotted the black Infinity in the apartment parking lot. They found ample evidence in both places, including a gun used to pistolwhip Ashlea, receipts for a murder kit, including the duct tape used to bind her, and her blood on the floor mat of their vehicle. The keyring also had the front gate key and store key on them. Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. Both Cervantez and Mallory worked with Harris at the American Eagle store before being fired. Chris looked at Clarence'spersonnel fileanddiscovered thatwhen Carterhired him, she changed his Social Security number and his name in the system so that it would not be detected or show up any red flags. | Link Errors Who Killed Her? Cervantez also testified that Mallory raped her when she didn't do what he wanted. They told authorities Harris usually left her keys on the kitchen counter, and that her home and car keys were on the same keychain as the keys to the American Eagle store where she worked. But prosecutors said Cervantez planned the crime, which involved stealing Harris' keys to the American Eagle Outfitters store at Hulen Mall in Fort Worth so the couple could take the cash from the store. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. One of her former co-workers, Leticia Groen, explained, They werent supposed to be dating because she controlled his pay, she controlled how much he worked, and she would just give him more preferential treatment. It took them just two hours to find her guilty and she was sentenced tolife in prison without parole. Ashlea's ankles were also bound with duct tape. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive. First published on December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM. Chris testified that Carter and Clarence would have known that Ashleaidentified Clarence and informed him of the theft. The Prosecution called Jeff Kayser to testify. The Black Infiniti G35 was searched by Officer J.J. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape,. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. Cervantez was the first to go to trial in May 2016. Police spoke to all of Ashlea'sneighbors. These included the bed, the closet, and Ashleas body. A woman suspected of helping kill a former co-worker on the shopping day known as Black Friday in 2014 was found guilty of capital murder Thursday and will spend the rest of her life in prison.. The apartment belonged to 31-year-old Ashlea Harris who resided there with her dog, Nala. But at least there are some you can understand. The inside of the apartment and Ashlea's body led police to believe that the fire was not an accidental fire. At a minimum, this took at least a month of planning. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. Carter Carol Cervantez v. The State of Texas Case Number: 02-16-00224-CR Judge: Mark T. Pittman Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth Plaintiff's Attorney: Joseph W. Spence Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray Steven W. Conder Description: Woman gets life for beating, binding, burning co-worker at Fort Worth Harris was found dead in her apartment several hours later when firefighters responded to a fire alarm. Video from American Eagle picks her up approaching the gate. Get Driving Directions to Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison, Texas. Mallory is awaiting his trial on the same charges. I became interested in this case after listening to Dateline Podcast from November 29, 2019 episode entitled Black Friday. I had some questions that werent answered on the show and thought Id see what I could find. Saturday Tarrant County Sheriffs arrested 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez. As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. There was a scrape and lacerations of her lip, a scrape on her chin and a star-shaped laceration with a surrounding bruise behind her left earwhich the medical examiner was caused by being struck by the pistol. The next day, Mallory drove her back to try again. She was taken to the station for questioning. It is the13th largest city in the US. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Harris reported Cervantes and Mallory as the likely suspects after Carter was seen leaving a door in the back of the store unlocked, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. But Tarrant County prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told the jury that Cervantez was the one who tried to control Mallory, whose trial is pending. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. Then he heard a loud thump right above him as Ashleas bedroom was directly above his. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. Home This was torture, prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told Snapped.. At that point, no one other than law enforcement knew that there was any keys missing. Authorities discovered Harris' body face down on her scorched bed with her ankles and wrists bound on Nov. 28, 2014, the. And in Fort Worth, Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. She told the Court she did not kill Ashlea and played no part in her death. Joyce Marshall jlmarshall@star-telegram.com FORT WORTH. After Carters two-door black Infiniti G35 was identified to be on the scene by witnesses and officers followed the couple to the mall the next morning. . They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer.". Police say Harris worked a late night Black Friday shift at the American Eagle store in a mall in Fort Worth and arrived home around 3:15 a.m. A neighbor below Harris told police that he heard a thump, screaming and heavy breathing around 7:30 a.m. His carbon monoxide detector then went off, and water from the sprinklers in Harris' apartment came through his ceiling. It matched Ashlea Harris' DNA. Police could not find Cervantez inside the mall but found her later in the laundry room at her apartment; surveillance video confirmed she had walked the two miles home. She was blamed as the mastermind behind the murder plot by prosecutors. below Ashlea's apartment and hetold police that he heard a thump, screaming and heavy breathing. He met his girlfriend Carter Cervantez there. It was a latenight due to Black Friday sales and Alexis looked after Ashlea's dog Nala while Ashlea was working. Around 8 am Ft. Worth Fire Department Lt. Jarrod Pavlechko arrived on the scene. Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth, Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray Ashlea went through the surveillance footage and alleged Carter and David to be the burglars, as Carter was seen leaving the back door of the store unlocked when she took the garbage out the night before. Jeans with FWPD Crime Scene Unit. The surveillance video from the front of the American Eagle store showed that at around 2amonthe 29th of November, someone with a covered face knelt down next to the lock on the gate and attempted to unlock and raise the gate.They were unsuccessful as the locks had been changed. Ashlea identified Clarence as the person who took the money from the safe from the surveillance footage. In addition, we got Ashleas DNA on this gun that was in Carter Cervantes car, said Kevin Rousseau. Ashlea Harris - Chilling Crimes Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. Carter Carol Cervantes worked as a store manager of an American Eagle Outfitters outlet in Amarillo, Texas. A friend of hers, Alexis Torres came over. Mark Sedwick, a special agent with the FBI and a member of the Cellular Analysis Survey Team, testified as to the content of texts that had been sent at 11.52amon the 28th of November between Clarence's phoneandCarter's phone: Carter's phone-Hey, remember that thing you said I didnt clean well?Did you clean it? Via the Star-Telegram: Cervantez testified that she and Mallory went to Cleburne and rented a motel room on Nov. 28, but later that day Mallory had her drive to Hulen Mall while he toyed with a 9 mm Glock handgun he held in his lap. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. Wallace E. Hood Jr., an arson investigator, told the Court thathe locatedmultiple origins of the fire, including in the bed, on Ashleas body, and in the closet. A neighbor told police that he had heard a thump and screaming from the apartment, the police affidavit said. Surveillance cameras caught her wiping down the bottle after drinking from it in order to remove any traces of DNA. She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. 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Alexis left after4am. Chicwanda Forbes gets the attention she craves from an older man in exchange for her loyalty; Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. Detective Cedillo decided to stake out Cervantez and Mallorys apartment arriving around 3:45 am on Saturday, November 29, 2014. At that location, Detective Cedillo found what he describes as a human grave. Police had to establish if they were involved in Ashlea's death what the motive was. CBS DFW - Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the | Facebook Harris reported Cervantes and Mallory as the likely suspects after Carter was seen leaving a door in the back of the store unlocked, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. If you believe this Record is in error (i.e. At Clarence's Trial, he claimed that he was not involved in Ashlea's murder but the Jury also did not believe him and he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. She transferred to the Hulen Mall location and held an assistant store manager position. Police tracked Cervantes and Mallory to an apartment near the Hulen Mall. And in Fort Worth, career-driven Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. The day after Harris' murder, Cervantez was caught by surveillance cameras trying to open the doors to the store, but they had already changed the locks. This manager did not close the store that night and did not appear to have the same build as the person in the video. On their cell phones, they had images of Ashlea's apartment, her apartment door and her vehicle. Police spoke to him. 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. | Editor In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. Investigators believed Cervantes and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle store. Jason Kidd hopes Mavs star stays patient in preseason play, Spring training cuts are incoming, but these Rangers prospects have impressed in camp. She told the Jury that he controlled her and even told her when she could eat or drink. The most likely thing that caused that was being pistol whipped.. He determined the source of all the smoke was coming from the bedroom and specifically the bed. Police discovered that thirty one year old Ashlea Ann Harris lived in the apartment that was on fire. They were not able to open the gate and promptly left. Police set up surveillance outside Carter's home and the next morning, the Saturday morning, at 8 am they saw her leave her apartment and getinto her Infiniti G35 with a man. with the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office testified to Ashlea Harriss cause of death. In reviewing the malls video surveillance Detective Cedillo saw Cervantez enter the mall wearing the same clothing he had seen her leave her apartment in. She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you, former co-worker Leticia Groen told Snapped.. The Jury heard that at 6.56am,Alexishad a missed call from Ashlea and when she noticed it, just a few minutes later, she called her back but there was no answer. David received the same sentence on August 24, 2017. This case has not yet been cited in our system. They found a lock in a kitchen drawer and a TASER box and some strands of duct tape in the trash. Police searched the black Infiniti G35 and found a plastic bag inside a black trash bag, a sharpening stone for a knife, a nine-millimeter cartridge, a cellphone, a walkie talkie and a Buck knife with a sheath. She admitted to not locking the back door the night of the theft. Surveillance footage from the Hulen Mall captured Cervantes trying to break into the American Eagle store on the morning of November 29 with Harris stolen keys, unaware that the locks had been changed. Cervantez claimed that the grave was not for Ashlea Harris, but for her. Steven Lee was an ex-cop who lived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea Harris. Protect yourself and those you love. Thats not good. The jury did not believe her. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. He asked if she would be willing to go downtown to be interviewed and she agreed. The Prosecutor,Kevin Rousseau,told the Jury: "There are no good murders. Carter Carol Cervantez faces capital murder charges in connection with the death of Ashlea Harris. Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. One of Harris friends had stopped by after Ashlea got off work on Thanksgiving night and stayed until around 5 a.m. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that 27-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was convicted of capital murder Thursday and sentenced to life in prison . When he realized it was Ashlea's apartment and when he observed her car was still parked outside, he ran upstairs and kicked her door down. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. It was a direct violation of the company policy, and she started facing flak for her relationship with a subordinate. This key was not in the trash during the first search. The neighbor attempted several times to get into Ashleas apartment but was forced out each time due to the heavy smoke. Another neighbor, Patrick Sweet, also testified. Posted on May 27, 2016. She was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole on May 26, 2016. Who Killed Her. An older man offers Chicwanda Forbes the attention she craves in exchange for her loyalty. Police have charged Carter Cervantez, 25, and her boyfriend Clarence "David" Mallory, 19, with capital murder in the death of Ashlea Harris, 31. The Court heard that police believed that over the course of a few weeks, Carter and Clarence planned to kidnap Ashlea and steal the keys. It was the Prosecution's case that Carter and Clarencehad a couple of different reasons to want to harm Ashlea. Whoever was the last person to leave had locked the door behind them. What did they all have in common on Black Friday 2014? By All were missing. Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez: With Iyana A. Campbell, Jordan Clifford, Herbert Lee Frazier III, Reginald Garner. Cervantez was recently found guilty of her involvement and sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 2016, reported the Star-Telegram. Ashlea was found lying face down on the floor of her bedroom. Jeff was a neighbor and friend of Ashlea's. She workedas an assistant managerin an American Eagle store in the Hulen Mall. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. She purchased what Im going to describe as a murder kit, said Rousseau. She and her. | Advertising Harris was born in 1983 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial this week on a capital murder charge in the slaying of Ashlea Ann Harris, 31, on Nov. 28, 2014, the day after Thanksgiving, known commercially as Black Friday. Cervantez claims that Mallory dug the grave for her. On May 26, 2016, twenty-seven-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was found guilty of capital murder. I said, Thats Ashleas tattoo,' said Naylor. Detective Cedillo spoke to Chris Cravey, who was Ashleas boss at American Eagle, and asked if he knew anyone who drove a black Infinity. The Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. The man drove to Hulen Mall and when they got there, he dropped off Carter at the door and parked.