She Thought Driving the Getaway Car Wasn’t a Crime 😳

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]You you didn't you weren't aware of it.

[00:00:01]You drove in to be a part of you knew. I mean there's there's saying I'm aware of whatever y'all came into y'all came into town >> with >> Can I reframe myself?

[00:00:12]>> You probably should real quick.

[00:00:14]>> Good morning. You're Zullie Valicia.

[00:00:16]>> Valia >> and uh Miss Valicia, you were previously in court and entered a plea of guilty to burglary of a habitation, a secondderee felony. Uh this is 24 DCCR1364.

[00:00:29]The agreement was for a cap of seven years in prison. I've received the presence report and uh reviewed it. Has everyone had an opportunity to review it?

[00:00:39]>> Yes, >> yes, we have.

[00:00:41]>> Any additions or corrections?

[00:00:44]>> I've uh I've reviewed the PSI uh with Zulie. Um I know that obviously her version um the court has questions about that and so um I would allow her to address that if uh she does wish to move forward u in hopes of obviously us arguing for the probation. Um so here's the thing. If you say you didn't do it, you don't get to say I didn't do it, but please give me probation because then you're not accepting responsibility. So either you did it what they charged you with or you didn't. Uh and doing it doesn't mean that you participated fully. And I'm sure Miss Holmes has explained to you the law of parties in Texas and what that means. Um but if you say somebody took your car and you weren't even there and you had no idea of it, then that's what juries are for because you are about to take the chance if we go forward of me sending you to prison for 7 years, me possibly giving you probation. But I can assure you that you're not going to get any kind of u help from me if you get up here and say, "Well, I didn't really do it, but come on, give me probation." Does that make sense?

[00:01:56]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:01:57]>> So, tell me if you want to go forward, tell me exactly what you did, what your part of this was.

[00:02:04]>> I was aware of what what my car was going to use for I I didn't participate in the act, but I >> So, you didn't drive your car? No, I did not.

[00:02:19]I did not drive it at the scene where >> Mr. Nichols, it appears that the >> if I'm explaining myself, >> I think what she is trying to say, your honor, she wasn't present at the scene of the burglary, but let them use her car and I guess drove them close by because we know she was pulled over driving that vehicle on the way.

[00:02:50]I mean, there's you were there's there's cameras from Lieutenant Hudson's cameras that confirmed that you were driving when you were stopped.

[00:03:02]>> Yes.

[00:03:03]>> With the other guy seated in the front seat.

[00:03:05]>> I was in town. I was in town when it happened, but I was not at the scene.

[00:03:10]>> So, yeah.

[00:03:11]>> So, when did he get in your car?

[00:03:14]>> When they borrowed to the crime scene, but I was not at the crime scene. I was I'm very confused.

[00:03:21]>> So, she drove she drove here to Grove.

[00:03:24]She drove into town. Um, she was aware of what was going to happen. She >> You didn't You weren't aware of it. You drove in to be a part of. You knew. I mean, there's there's saying I'm aware of whatever. Y'all came into Y'all came into town.

[00:03:42]>> Can I reframe myself?

[00:03:43]>> You probably should real quick because Hang on. Also, at the time, >> hold on.

[00:03:49]Because y'all came into town with radio jammers and fully ready with medical mask and face mask and all this stuff to come in from out of town to do what you did here in our town. And so you weren't just riding along and then they said, "Oh, by the way, sorry you came with us. We're going to do this."

[00:04:12]>> Okay. Well, I drove because I'm the one that had the license on in case we got pulled over.

[00:04:17]>> Okay. I was not.

[00:04:19]>> So, you brought him to do the crime?

[00:04:20]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:04:22]>> It's not that hard to say.

[00:04:23]>> I didn't know how to rephrase it myself.

[00:04:25]I'm sorry.

[00:04:36]>> All right. Um, Miss Holmes, go ahead with argument.

[00:04:39]>> Yes, sir. Um, she does not have an extensive um p criminal history. Um, as you can see, there is one prior um, looks like a death of property. It looks she received 6 months state jail and then there was a federal case as well uh, back in 2020.

[00:04:59]Um, Miss uh, Zullie is currently employed um, and working. Um, she would like the opportunity to continue that uh, with probation. U, she does care for uh, family members as well, your honor.

[00:05:13]for household. Um, as indicated in the PSI, they do have they do have her at a low risk level, which I believe is indicative that she would be successful on um, probation if given that opportunity. Uh, they've also stated in the PSI uh, that they would like her to adhere to any mental health services and comply with those recommendations as well as the moral recognation therapy program and to obviously stay off of any premises in which this um, act was committed. Um to her credit um they did state that that she did express remorse uh for the actions and she felt embarrassed for her family and does regret that your honor. Um it's also stated that based on her statements history and circumstances she does appear remorseful and motivated to make positive changes which I believe that she can do if given that opportunity on probation. Uh she can get obviously uh up to 10 years. Um and if the court uh deems that and we are asking that she be able to do the 10 years probation um to give her that opportunity to uh show that she can be a productive member of society and um to possibly if the court uh deems necessary, if she can have the opportunity at deferred probation to have that time to rehabilitate herself and to hopefully not have another felony conviction on her record.

[00:06:34]Mr. Nichols, >> your honor, I echo the uh sentiments of Detective Hudson and uh sorry, Lieutenant Hudson. Um this wasn't just a crime of opportunity or one-off incident. This was an organized burglary that involved high technology that involved planning and a target of this individual's residence. They came in from Houston specifically to burglarize this home and they did. Um, and I think there's there's obviously um, well, she flat out lied to the police about being there driving. She claimed that her car had been reported stolen 2 days before this, even though she was stopped uh, and is on video driving the morning of. So, I I I think the seven years is appropriate. I'll note the court the codefendant got 10. At least one code defendant got 10. I'm not sure on the others. Um but I think 7 years is appropriate in given the the instance of this case.

[00:07:44]>> How'd y'all pick this person?

[00:07:48]>> Sorry.

[00:07:48]>> How did y'all pick this house? this person to come and >> No, I like I said, the only reason why I came here was because I had the license.

[00:07:58]So, in case they got pulled over, they you know, they do have a way to prove they're citizens. So, I'm I was just like the one that drove into town. I don't know about >> and if I can two of those individuals um have fled the border. They were not legalized. So, so they probably will never be found. So there were two other individuals involved >> in which she has tried to get contact.

[00:08:24]So that's the reason why they were involved. She was the driver, but they have since fled the country. They're not coming back. Um that actually went into the house. There was only one that was caught that received the 10.

[00:08:35]>> Mhm.

[00:08:36]>> So I guess what she's trying to say is she was driving because they obviously >> did not have the credentials to do that >> and we don't know where they are.

[00:08:48]So, do you I mean, but do you know why y'all came to this house?

[00:08:53]>> I have no idea. The only uh reason that I came into town was because I'm the one that had the license. So, in case they got pulled over, they didn't have a way, you know, to prove the >> How many other times did they have you drive you to other places?

[00:09:06]>> No, that was the only time I did it and I it was it was crazy.

[00:09:10]>> If I may, I had the codefendants case.

[00:09:12]The uh victim in this particular instance was a local business owner owned a donut shop. They also owned a doughnut shop in and forgive me if if I'm off on this the exact city uh or nearby in that business that their home in that city was also bro.

[00:09:31]>> So I mean right thank you.

[00:09:33]>> I sure was not involved in any other situation that had to do with them. It was just once.

[00:09:38]>> How did you know these guys? Uh well basically one is my barber. The the one that doing time he's my brother.

[00:09:47]>> He's your brother.

[00:09:48]>> Barber.

[00:09:48]>> Barber.

[00:09:49]>> Yes.

[00:09:52]>> What about the other two that took off?

[00:09:53]>> I never I never knew him.

[00:10:03]>> So where do you live now?

[00:10:04]>> I live in Houston, Texas. Yeah. Houston.

[00:10:19]Do you work?

[00:10:20]>> It's my $50.

[00:10:23]>> For what? For who?

[00:10:25]>> It's integral. It's basically for the state. I get paid $25 an hour >> to do what? I'm sorry.

[00:10:34]>> I don't know how to describe it. It's like solar panels. Like it's for the state.

[00:10:39]>> Okay.

[00:10:42]>> I have evidence as well.

[00:10:44]>> You have what?

[00:10:44]>> Evidence that I'm working there. Okay.

[00:10:46]>> Before that, I was working at a car wash, but they offer me more there.

[00:11:08]So, >> I don't disagree >> with Lieutenant Hudson or with Mr. Nichols um because of what happened and and the targeted way that this happened. It does appear that the guys were probably in charge of most of this.

[00:11:34]You made a really, really stupid decision.

[00:11:37]>> I did and I agree.

[00:11:46]>> All right. what I'm inclined to do because what you're charged with is a secondderee felony.

[00:11:54]>> So the range of punishment is up to 20 years if you went to jury or All right, here's what I'm going to do.

[00:12:14]I'm going to find that you enter your plea of guilty freely and voluntarily.

[00:12:18]I'm going to find sufficient evidence to find you guilty. However, I'm going to defer all proceedings and place you on probation for 10 years. You're going to be ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and to follow all of the rules and conditions of probation. So, let me explain what that means and why that's good for you, but probably more so for me and why I'm doing this. So a deferred probation means you don't have this conviction on your record. But what it also means is if you violate any condition of probation, you will be brought back into court found guilty. So you have the felony conviction and that cap of seven's gone. I have the full range of punishment between 2 years and up to 20 years. And um certain cases for whatever reason, the fact that this one this I remember it from Mr. Coleman's case from the codefendant. I'm likely to remember it. It's never good when I remember things. Okay. Um and so I'm going to order also um that you obviously have no contact or communication with any of the codefendants. Um if they're if they fled the country, whatever that's if they come back, if they try to contact you, you cannot have any contact with them.

[00:13:33]In fact, I'm ordering if they contact you that you contact your probation officer and law enforcement and let them know any information that you have about where they are. Um, you will be I I want her on the medium high uh case load uh to start off with.

[00:13:54]That means you're going to be reporting more often, making sure you get off on the right track because >> I work like an hour from my house, so I leave bows at 2:30 and come back home at 2:30 in the morning.

[00:14:06]>> So talk to probation. I want you to work. Okay. And so you need to get them documentation of your schedule because there will be a curfew except for employment purposes. You'll be required um to report in Harris County, but you're also going to be required to report by mail or online here. So, you kind of have double duty. You've got to do it all. If you don't report by mail or online here, it's a violation. If you don't go in person there, it's a violation. If you don't give them proof of where you're where you are when you're supposed to be, it's a violation.

[00:14:37]If you test positive for any drugs, whatever it is, you're going to be on a high case load. so that I know at least for some time that you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. And if you don't, you will be right back in here. Do you understand? All right. I'm going to hand you the trial court certification. It says this was an agreement that I followed and so you've waved your right to appeal. You need to have a seat here in the courtroom probation. She'll call you up to your her desk when she's ready to go over your paperwork. Good luck to you.

[00:15:09]Come on now.