Pantoja pleads guilty to tampering with evidence
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Nov 5, 2018, Comments Off
Courtesy Yanira Deleon,
(Laredo, Texas)-The District Attorney’s Office reports that Janette Pantoja has plead guilty to tampering with evidence. As part of her plea of guilty, the State recommended a punishment of six months to serve as a condition of an 8-year probationary term. 
On Wednesday, September 10, 2014, Cristian Yepez’ girlfriend Janette Pantoja came forward to detectives from the Houston Police Department confessing that her boyfriend, Cristian Yepez, had killed her 3-year-old daughter, Jasleen Valdez, in Laredo, Texas. Houston police brought Pantoja to Laredo to meet with detectives from the police department. She provided specific details about the incident stating that Yepez had killed her daughter by beating her in the hotel of Monterrey Inn on or about August 16, 2014.
Three days later, Pantoja and Yepez drove the body to a construction site on the 7300 block of Springfield Avenue to bury the body. Pantoja led police to the location where the child’s remains were discovered.
Pantoja was arrested on September 11, 2014, while Yepez was transported from Houston and detained in Webb County on September16, 2014. Both defendants were indicted on charges of murder and tampering with evidence, a first-degree felony and a second-degree felony in the State of Texas, respectively.
Yepez was previously found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 30 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in 2016. During the course of the trial against Christian Yepez, there was no evidence suggesting that Janette Pantoja contributed to the injuries sustained by Jasleen Valdez that ultimately led to her death. However, evidence from that trial indicated that Janette Pantoja aided in the concealing of her daughter’s body. During the trial, Pantoja testified she was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Yepez. Photographic evidence corroborated such claims.
The State believes that this plea agreement is in the best interest of justice.
Assistant District Attorney Joaquin Rodriguez prosecuted the case for the State.
