Mastermind Behind Fatal Ambush Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing 11-Year-Old Boy and His Father

The sentencing of the mastermind behind a tragic ambush that claimed the lives of an 11-year-old boy and his stepfather in 2020 has been handed down, with Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announcing that the individual will face life in prison without parole.

“This defendant’s intentions were clear: he wanted to commit murder and was trying to hide behind the triggerman who killed an innocent man and a little boy in broad daylight,” stated Ogg, expressing gratitude towards the jurors for agreeing that a capital murder conviction was the appropriate outcome.

Dwayne Batiste, 43, was found guilty of capital murder for his involvement in the killings of 11-year-old Dominic Sumicek and his 41-year-old stepfather, Menuell Solomon, as they sat in Solomon’s car outside their home on October 26, 2020.

The court proceedings revealed that Batiste orchestrated the ambush in an attempt to evade accountability for an earlier attempted armed robbery against Solomon. Assistant District Attorney Christopher Condon highlighted the role of the Houston Police Department in identifying and apprehending both the triggerman and the mastermind behind the murders.

“At the end of the day, if not for the actions of Dwayne Batiste, 11-year-old Dominic Sumicek would now be a freshman in high school,” Condon remarked.

Desmond Hawkins, the triggerman in the attack, had previously been convicted of capital murder and also received a life sentence without parole. The coordinated efforts of law enforcement led to the arrest and successful prosecution of those responsible for the heinous crime.

The sentencing of Batiste serves as a form of justice for the victims and their families, bringing a semblance of closure to a case that shocked and saddened the community.