ODESSA, Texas — An Odessa man has agreed to a plea deal that has officially charged him with manslaughter, a second degree felony.
Back in November of 2021, 33-year-old Jose Ballardo was indicted on murder after an incident sent 40-year-old Lester Bland to the hospital where he would later pass away due to the severity of his injuries.
The initial investigation last year revealed that Ballardo got into an altercation with Bland at Frisky Brewing in Odessa. Ballardo struck Bland several times in the head and rendered him unconscious. Bland was transported to MCH for treatment.
Ballardo was arrested on aggravated assault charges, but soon after, Bland passed away in the hospital and the charges were upgraded to murder.
According to Ector County District Attorney Dusty Gallivan, the family of the victim did not want Ballardo to go to jail for murder since they had a prior relationship with him before the incident. This ultimately led to a plea deal that charged Ballardo with manslaughter.
Ballardo was given 10 years of probation.