Chronicle: Floribeth Sandoval Benjume, accused of the death of a policeman

• Floribeth Sandoval Benjume is charged in Texas with the reckless death of police officer Bruce Watson.
• According to authorities, Sandoval Benjume ran a red light and attacked the policeman who was traveling on a motorcycle.
• The reckless homicide charge is punishable by up to 20 years in jail after a trial.

In a second, Floribeth Sandoval Benjume’s life changed. Due to a careless drive, she is now charged with the murder of a police officer.

Sandoval Benjume was arrested by the Pearland Police Department (PPD), in Texas, charged with the felony charge of reckless homicide after allegedly running a red light.

Sandoval Benjume’s victim was Sergeant Bruce Watson, 51, of the Motorcycle Patrol Division of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) in Houston.

In the chronicle that you are about to read, the details are contained in the arrest warrant against Sandoval Benjume consulted by MundoHispánico in Texas.

On Saturday afternoon, January 2, 2021, HCSO Sgt. Watson was riding his service motorcycle through the intersection of Shadow Creek and Kingsley Drive in Pearland on his way home from work.

Just at 5:00 in the afternoon, Sergeant Watson had just finished a long day escorting a funeral procession with his motorcycle, as part of his service.

Pearland, the city in which the events occurred, is an upper-middle-class suburb in the southeast of the Houston metropolitan area and is located in the Brazoria County.

Suddenly, upon reaching the intersection of Shadow Creek and Kingsley Drive, a Hispanic woman in an SUV struck Watson and his motorcycle. The HCSO sergeant was left lying at the impact site.

The woman in the Cadillac Escalade SUV, who was not injured, also stayed at the scene as witnesses called 911 to report the incident.

The sharp and direct blow on Sergeant Bruce Watson was such that the man was left unconscious lying on the pavement next to his motorcycle.

The first PPD patrolmen to arrive at the scene found the officer so badly injured that they asked for an emergency helicopter transfer to a Medical Center hospital in Houston.

After the impact with the motorcycle, the woman who was driving the Cadillac Escalade van lost control of the vehicle and hit a light pole.

The agents questioned the suspect, who identified herself as Floribeth Sandoval Benjume and, according to the PPD report, did not show signs of alcohol or drug intoxication.

In her initial testimony, Floribeth Sandoval Benjume told authorities that it was all an accident because when she saw Sergeant Watson on his motorcycle in front of her truck, she was unable to stop the car.

The Brazoria County Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the case and after the accident, Floribeth Sandoval Benjume was released but ordered not to leave town while the case was under review.

While authorities were investigating the case, at the hospital Sergeant Bruce Watson could no longer survive his various injuries to his entire body and died in the operating room while doctors tried to save his life.

Bruce Watson was a 20-year veteran of the HCSO, 18 of which were spent in the motorcycle unit. Watson’s widow is an officer of the Houston Police Department (HPD).

The death of Sergeant Bruce Watson caused deep pain in the two corporations, HCSO and HPD, and the officer was buried with all the police honors in front of his wife, his three children and his grandson.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez released a statement mourning the death of Sergeant Watson and asking the community to pray for his family.

“Our dedicated Harris County Sheriff’s Office community mourns the sudden death of a lifelong brother. Sergeant Watson served the community with honor and distinction, ”Gonzalez said.

During more than a month of investigations, Brazoria County prosecutors reviewed the testimony of the case, Floribeth Sandoval Benjume’s version and the injuries recorded in the autopsy of Sergeant Bruce Watson.

The key point was the review of video from security cameras at the corner of Shadow Creek and Kingsley Drive, traffic and nearby businesses, which revealed that Floribeth Sandoval Benjume had run a red light.

Based on that, a judge issued an arrest warrant against Sandoval Benjume accused of the felony of reckless homicide in the death of Sergeant Watson.

On Tuesday morning, February 9, 2021, agents from the PPD Vehicle Crimes Division arrested Floribeth Sandoval Benjume and took her to the Brazoria County Jail.

According to Texas State Penal Code The crime of reckless homicide, such as the one Sandoval Benjume faces, is punishable by up to 20 years in prison for anyone who pleads guilty at trial.

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