Convicted murderer ‘known for his violent tendencies’ accused of fatal shooting in Texas

Police have charged a man “known for his violent tendencies” across Southeast Texas in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old, authorities said.

Shortly after midnight July 6, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office discovered the body of Brennon Harlan Lee Flores in Vidor. He had been shot to death.

The following day, authorities in Port Arthur served Darius Rashard Stevenson, 36,with a felony warrant for “possession of a weapon in a prohibited place” and placed him under arrest.

His bond was set at $500,000

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office then secured two additional warrants — one for an unrelated charge and the second for Flores’ murder.

A judge has not yet set the suspect’s bond in the murder case, KBMT reported.

"Brennon was a very spirited wild child that was taken from us way too soon,” the victim’s sister, Autaum Whitaker, told the television station in a statement. “He had so much potential to be a great contributor to society and sadly, we will never get to see what he could have been.”

“Unfortunately,” she continued, “that chance was stolen away from us and now we will never see his smile or hear his contagious laugh ever again. We are asking for prayers to get through this difficult process and for justice to be served." 

Stevenson already had served time behind bars in connection with a 2009 murder, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

In that case, Stevenson fatally shot 52-year-old Ronald Bridges in the chest after the two got into an argument, Port Arthur News reported.

Four days before the deadly encounter, police charged Stevenson with aggravated assault in a separate unrelated incident.

He pleaded guilty to both charges and received a sentence of seven years.